701.6511/1205: Telegram
The Chargé in Switzerland (Huddle) to the Secretary of
State
Bern, January 2, 1942.
[Received
January 2—4:13 p.m.]
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.
