701.0011/385
The British Embassy to the Department of State
Aide-Mémoire
The British Embassy acknowledges the receipt of the State Department’s memorandum of the 25th February regarding the repatriation of the personnel of the European enemy missions in this country and in Latin America and of other enemy persons attached to these missions.
The British Government understand the point of view from which the United States Government regard the problem of selecting the enemy nationals to be repatriated and will be very glad to facilitate the return of any such persons whose departure would be to the common advantage, irrespective of whether they are entitled to be repatriated on account of their official position. In order to decide whether the repatriation of an enemy national who is not a proper official is or is not to the common advantage it will be necessary to measure the amount of harm that he would be able to do if allowed to remain in this hemisphere against the amount of harm that he would be able to do if repatriated. This estimate will generally depend on the degree of freedom which he would be able to enjoy if he were not repatriated. Where the alternative to repatriation is internment in the United States it is clear that internment would in most cases be more advantageous and the British Government sincerely hope that the United States Government will use all their privileges and powers to intern as many enemy nationals as possible within the confines of the United States. Where the alternative is complete freedom of movement and liberty of action in some area of Latin America the advantage will generally lie with repatriation. The British Government note in this connection that the governments of a number of other American Republics have agreed to send certain enemy nationals to the United States only after receiving an undertaking from the United States Government that they will eventually be repatriated and that the United States Government if they do not repatriate them will feel obliged to send them back to the countries whose governments sent them here. The British Government agree that it is desirable to prevent enemy nationals from being free to do as they wish in Latin America, particularly those who have been deliberately placed there by enemy governments for subversive purposes, and they are fully [Page 333] alive to the implications this whole question has for the security of the Western Hemisphere. Conversely they anticipate that the United States Government will understand if the British Government should feel unable to grant safe conducts to such enemy nationals as there may be who because of their technical qualifications would be more likely to injure the common cause by being sent back to Europe than by being allowed to reside in Latin America. The British Government are confident that agreement will be reached without difficulty in each case if a joint examination is made of the amount of harm likely to follow from either alternative. With this criterion in mind the British authorities will proceed as quickly as possible to examine the lists to be submitted to them from time to time by the United States authorities of the persons whom the latter think it desirable to repatriate.
The British Government will be glad to facilitate any arrangements for the exchange of enemy officials which the governments of any other American Republics may wish to make, provided that they meet with the approval of the United States Government. In negotiating with these governments regarding the enemy nationals to be included in such arrangements the British Government will be guided by the considerations set forth above.