390.1115A/671e: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Consul General at Singapore ( Patton )
26. Your 46, January 24, 10 a.m.15 The Department has inquired of the Navy Department respecting the availability of United States naval vessels for the evacuation of American citizens from Singapore. The Navy Department has stated that it would be appropriate for the Department to authorize you to make a request for such aid of the Commander in Chief, United States Asiatic Fleet. Authority to do so is hereby given you whenever in your opinion it is desirable to do so. Whether or not to comply with your request is of course a matter entirely in the discretion of the Naval Commander in Chief. The Department is also making inquiry of the Maritime Commission concerning the availability of American merchant vessels in your area which might be used for the purpose of evacuating Americans from Singapore and you will shortly be informed what, if any, such vessels are available for this purpose.
In order to provide for any possible contingency and in line with the suggestions made in paragraph 3 of your message under reference the Department has instructed the Legation at Bern to request the Swiss Government to make immediately available to the Swiss Consul at Singapore from United States advances for representation of its interests twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) or its equivalent for disbursement in his discretion in small relief payments to those American citizens and Filipinos in Malaya having need of immediate financial assistance in the event it should become necessary to ask him to take over American interests. As a further precaution that the Swiss Consul will not be without funds for this emergency purpose, you are hereby allotted twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) for payment to the Swiss Consul for disbursement by him in the same manner and for the same purposes as indicated above in the contingency mentioned. Draw draft, render separate account, and charge authorization 150, 1942. These funds are to be used only for the purpose stated above and should, of course, not be turned over to the Swiss Consul until he actually takes over representation of American interests.
With reference to your request to use balance of funds allotted in Department’s 186, December 15,15 for “any” emergencies, Department is unable to understand what further needs might properly be met from these public funds as you have already been authorized to use them for (1) repatriation, (2) evacuation, (3) temporary maintenance, and (4) other essential extraordinary needs such as urgent medical attention. If you will inform the Department of the nature [Page 257] of any further emergency needs, it will gladly consider whether the use of these funds may be authorized therefore.