701.6511/1205: Telegram

The Chargé in Switzerland ( Huddle ) to the Secretary of State

6. American interests—Italy. Referring Department’s 338, December 19, Swiss Foreign Office by note of January 1 communicates following reply of Italy Government through Swiss Minister at Rome to Department’s proposal for exchange of official personnel (translation from Italian):

  • “1. The Italian Government takes note of the decision of the United States Government to designate a passenger ship to transport Italian officers and personnel to Lisbon. The ship will proceed unarmed without convoy under safe conduct from the belligerent governments. It is also noted that the United States Government will place on board at an American port on the Atlantic seaboard all the diplomatic personnel and dependent employees at present in territory under the control of the United States Government, such personnel and employees being permitted to take with them their personal effects. The Italian Government notes that there may also be embarked on board the ship the diplomatic and consular officers and their dependent employees who are at present in territory under the control of the other American Republics which have broken diplomatic relations [Page 299] with Italy or which may have broken relations at the time the exchange takes place. The Italian Government also notes that the United States Government will itself undertake the expenses of the travel of such personnel and the transportation of their personal effects from Washington and elsewhere in the United States to the port of embarkation. For its part the Italian Government will make provision to bear the expenses of transfer of the American diplomatic personnel, their families and their personnel from Rome or from elsewhere in Italy to the frontier of Mentone and of the transportation of their effects.
  • 2. The Italian Government notes that the personnel embarked on the steamer will be authorized to take with them their personal effects within the limits of the possible space on the boat itself and the possibility of providing rapidly for embarkation. The Italian Government requests the assurance that this limitation shall not be less than the three trunks and hand baggage allowed by the Italian Government to the American personnel which is being repatriated.
  • 3. The Italian Government notes that the persons who embark on the ship as diplomats representing the Italian Government in the United States or elsewhere together with their families and their personnel will not be subject to control or inspection by the North American and British authorities either on land or on sea, and the Italian Government will accord the same privileges to diplomats of the United States, to their families and their personnel as well as to the diplomats and consuls of other states who leave Italy on the diplomatic trains. This exemption is also accorded on the basis of reciprocity to the personal effects which the said personnel carry with them.
  • 4. The Italian Government notes that the ship—the particulars concerning which will be communicated immediately to the Italian Government through the Swiss Government—will follow the following course: an Atlantic port on the American seaboard to Lisbon and return without touching any other port.
  • 5. The American diplomats and other official personnel of nations at war or which may have broken diplomatic relations with Italy together with their families and personnel will be conducted in special trains and at the expense of the Italian Government to the frontier of Mentone. They will enjoy the same privileges which are accorded by the American Government to Italian diplomats. The Italian Government will moreover arrange for special trains to take the above described personnel from the French frontier to the port of embarkation.
  • 6. The Italian Government will accord identical facilities and privileges on request of the interested governments and under condition of reciprocity for the transportation to the port of embarkation of the diplomats and their families and personnel of those Central and South American Republics which have already broken or which may eventually have broken diplomatic relations with Italy at the time of the exchange.
  • 7. The Italian Government notes that the Portuguese Government will be requested by the Government of the United States to act as guarantor for the exchange within Portuguese territory of the personnel and Italian citizens who will be repatriated from the United States in exchange for the personnel and citizens of North American [Page 300] and of the other American Republics who are being repatriated. An identical guarantee will be requested of the Portuguese Government by the Italian Government.
  • 8. The Italian Government raises no objection to proceeding to an exchange of other categories of citizens of the two countries at the same time with the diplomats and their employees and by the same means of transportation. The Government of the United States in its note mentioned only journalists. The Embassy of the United States at Rome has of its own accord proposed the repatriation of a certain number of American citizens residing in Italy. The Italian Government is ready to facilitate such repatriation in as liberal a manner as possible on condition that the same criteria will be followed by the Government of the United States for the repatriation of Italian citizens. Concrete proposals to this effect have been made through Ambassador Colonna14 and Mr. Wadsworth.14a The Italian Government does not consider that the exchange need be limited to journalists, radio announcers and photographers. It therefore requests that there be considered a block exchange of specified categories of citizens of both countries, an exchange which the Italian Government is ready to effect on the most liberal possible criteria. The Italian Government is prepared to make the same exchange with the other American Republics which have broken diplomatic relations with Italy or which will have broken relations at the time of the exchange provided that the Governments of these republics agree and that the Government of the United States is disposed to facilitate such an exchange. Disembarkation from the ship at Lisbon of the persons arriving from the United States and entrance into Portuguese territory of the persons arriving from continental Europe will be simultaneous.
  • 9. The Italian Government agrees that on the request of the interested governments there be included in the exchange and under the same rules the diplomatic, consular and other official personnel already accredited to the United States by the European powers associated with the Axis powers. The Italian Government also agrees that there be included in the exchange the official personnel of the United States and of the Central and South American Republics formerly accredited to the countries associated with the Axis.
  • 10. The Italian Government for its part in conformity with the steps which will be taken by the Government of the United States guarantees the safe conduct of the vessel for the round trip and will undertake to obtain identical assurances of safe conduct from the belligerent powers associated with it.
  • 11. The Italian Government will not fail to communicate to the Swiss Government for the part which concerns it the guarantees of safe conduct for the round trip of the vessel from the United States to Lisbon and return and will request the Swiss Government to act as guarantor of the observance of such guarantees.
  • 12. The Italian Government notes that the transportation expenses of the ship will be apportioned among the interested governments and will likewise request that the expenses of the special trains from the Italian-French frontier of Mentone to the port of embarkation be apportioned between the Government of the United States and the [Page 301] interested Governments of Central and South America. The Italian Government agrees that the expenses of the respective Governments shall be determined by the Swiss Government.
  • 13. The Italian Government notes that there will embark on the ship personnel of the International Red Cross Committee and of other Red Cross societies as well as a representative of the Swiss Government in the dual capacity of guarantor of the execution of the agreements and of representative of the power protecting the interests of the principal interested Governments. The Italian Government notes that during the voyage no passenger will be permitted to use in any way the radio service except the representative of the Swiss Government for communication with his Government. The Italian Government notes that all the proposals outlined above have been communicated to the diplomatic representatives of the United States in the Central and South American Republics which have broken diplomatic relations or which are at war with Italy and Germany in order that the respective Governments may facilitate the return to Europe of the Italian diplomatic and consular personnel. The Italian Government for its part will send the necessary communications to the Governments of these countries through the Argentinian Government.”

Swiss Foreign Office adds Minister Rome will shortly communicate oral comments which accompanied delivery of above reply.

Huddle
  1. Ascanio dei principi Colonna, Italian Ambassador in the United States.
  2. George Wadsworth, Chargé in Italy.