340.1115A/2159: Telegram
The Chargé in Germany ( Morris ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 2:20 p.m.]
3149. With reference to the Department’s telegram No. 1790 of June 26, 7 p.m., and other correspondence concerning the future consular work of this Mission, I can only present the following summary [Page 633] of the Embassy’s position with respect to services for Americans in Germany and German-occupied territories.
As far as contact with individual American citizens is concerned the following is the situation. Individuals residing in Germany proper are presumably free to travel to Berlin in so far as they are financially able to do so. In practice, however, such travel from points more than 3 or 4 hours distant by rail is distinctly difficult. Only a select minority are able to obtain berths in sleeping cars. Passenger services are cut to a fraction of their peace time frequence. Through trains are frequently so crowded that even passage through the aisles is impossible. In almost every train hundreds of people are forced to stand for many hours and often whole days or nights in the vestibules or corridors. Subsidiary railway services such as baggage checking, restaurant and hotel accommodations, etc., are reduced proportionately. Thus a journey of only 7 or 8 hours is often a difficult and formidable undertaking.
In no single instance are foreigners residing in occupied territories permitted to leave these territories and proceed to Germany without special permits from police or military authorities. These permits are granted only in the rarest of cases and the tendency thus far has been for this severity of these restrictions to increase as the war progressed. Even for the tiny fraction of American citizens in occupied territories who might succeed in getting permits to come to Germany, travel would present a tremendous problem. From many districts of Yugoslavia, Poland, the Baltic States, Norway, et cetera, travel facilities for civilians are practically nonexistent.
Mail communication within Germany is slow and not entirely certain. Between the occupied territories and Berlin conditions of mail communication are far worse and in many instances mail facilities do not really exist at all.
The transmission of funds in the [mail?] can be carried out in Germany proper with reasonable regularity although only through the observance of considerable red tape. Beyond the borders of the Reich proper such transmission is complicated and in many cases impossible.
The Embassy is unable to approach any governmental authority local or otherwise in the occupied areas or in Germany proper except the German Foreign Office. The Foreign Office itself is overburdened with wartime duties. Only in the rarest instances is it able [to take] action independently on its own responsibility. It is often separated by a whole series of intermediary administrative organs from the authorities which would alone be competent for a given requested action. In endeavoring to further the requests of this Mission the Foreign Office is handicapped by the general political situation as concerns Germany and the United States, the effects of which are [Page 634] clearly visible in the unhelpful attitude of internal German authorities.
The Department will perceive from the foregoing that (1) this Mission will not be able to render effective service in the area from which the consular personnel has been withdrawn and (2) cannot count on German official support to this end save in exceptional circumstances where the aid of the Foreign Office may be enlisted.