701.0010/33: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in Switzerland (Huddle)
588. American interests—Germany. Your 808, February 28. Intimation having been received from Embassy Rome that Italian Government envisages separate repatriation for its official personnel formerly accredited to American Republics which broke relations after Rio conference, Department addressed to Embassy Rome its 56, February 26 reading as follows:
“Your 64, February 15 [16], parenthesis at close of first sentence.38
While Department agrees with Italian Government that a separate repatriation of Italian officials from certain of the other American Republics which broke relations after the Rio de Janeiro conference may be more convenient to all parties, it cannot see that such a repatriation would be more desirable in respect of the official parties in Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador in view of the difficulty of communication between those countries and Rio de Janeiro, the port from which a separate repatriation might be expected to take place.
Department is providing facilities for the transportation to the United States of Axis officials in Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. These facilities will make the exchange more simple and direct for the officials concerned and will afford them ample facilities for the transportation of their personal effects of the categories agreed upon (trunks and handbaggage). It is accordingly hoped that the Italian Government will concur in the Department’s viewpoint and instruct its personnel in the three countries referred to to embark on the vessel being dispatched to bring them to this country. It is contemplated that the personnel in question will be immediately transferred to the exchange vessel and proceed to Lisbon upon their arrival in this country.”
Please request Swiss Government to transmit to the German Government the above quoted message mutatis mutandis in order to make it applicable to German officials in Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador adding that Department has informed Argentine Government of provision already made for repatriation of German official personnel in these three countries.
- Telegram not printed; the parenthesis at the close of the first sentence contained information that the Italian list did not include names of parties of six Latin American countries and that the Italian Government was contemplating their separate later repatriation (701.1040/12).↩