Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1942, General; the British Commonwealth; the Far East, Volume I

300.1115/245b: Circular telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic and Consular Officers²⁸

Washington, February 20, 1942—10 p.m.

The following instructions, issued by the War and Navy Departments, are repeated for your information and guidance:

From the Chief of Naval Operations to the Naval Transport Service:

• “1. Upon request of the accredited diplomatic or consular officials of the United States, senior officers present afloat in foreign ports are authorized, in their discretion, to furnish American citizens transportation aboard vessels of the Naval Transportation Service.
• 2. The foreign service officer requesting the transportation will see that such passengers are provided with appropriate papers of identification and will arrange for the payment of subsistence and other charges.”

From the Adjutant General to the Quartermaster General, Commanding Generals, Overseas Department and Defense Commands:

• “1. Space on Army transports may be utilized to provide transportation to American citizens when commercial space is not reasonably available.
• 2. Upon request of the accredited diplomatic or consular officials of the United States, the Commanding Officers present in foreign ports are authorized, in their discretion, to furnish American citizens transportation aboard vessels of the Army Transport Service when commercial space is not reasonably available and military passengers are not displaced by such action. The foreign service officer requesting the transportation will be required to assure that passengers provided such transportation have appropriate papers of identification, and will arrange for the payment of subsistence and other charges.”

The above instructions are in line with the Department’s efforts to provide through every possible means, facilities for the emergency repatriation of bona fide American citizens from potential combat zones and from other dangerous areas, and are being brought to the attention of all Foreign Service Offices at seaports in the thought that a knowledge thereof may be helpful should any exceptional situation arise in which such accommodations, if available, might be utilized for the emergency repatriation of stranded bona fide American citizens unable to avail themselves of other means of transportation.²⁹

Welles

28. Sent to diplomatic officers at London, with instructions to repeat to all seaport consular offices in the British Isles; Cairo (to repeat to Alexandria, Port Said, and Suez); Reykjavik; Monrovia; and to consular officers at Aden; Basra; Batavia (to repeat to Surabaya); Belfast; Calcutta (to repeat to Bombay, Karachi, and Madras); Capetown (to repeat to Port Elizabeth and Durban); Colombo; Funchal; Godthaab; Lagos; Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; Lourenço Marques; Suva; Sydney (to repeat to Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Nouméa, and Port Darwin); Tenerife; Vladivostok; Wellington (to repeat to Auckland); and Leopoldville.

    Similar instructions were sent by mail to all diplomatic and consular officers in the Western Hemisphere as circular of March 9, 1942 (300.1115/251a).

29. Circular telegram, dated May 18, 1942, indicated that the Department was informed by War and Navy Departments that facilities were extended, when accommodations were available, to the accompanying alien spouses of American citizens, the unmarried minor alien children of American parents, and the alien parents of American minors, and shipwrecked or stranded alien seamen from American or American-owned Panamanian vessels, provided such persons were properly documented for entry into the United States (300.1115/290a).

    Similar instructions were sent by mail to American diplomatic and consular officers in the Western Hemisphere, as circular of June 10, 1942 (300.1115/282).