340.1115A/2575: Telegram
The Minister in Switzerland (Harrison) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 20—1:30 a.m.]
1610. American interests—exchange negotiations. Drottningholm. Legation’s 1609, April 19.81 The Foreign Office has just received text of note verbale dated April 18 from German Foreign Office to Swiss Legation, Berlin, translation of which follows:
“The Foreign Office has the honor in reply to Swiss Legation’s note verbale of April 14 to confirm that the steamer Drottningholm [Page 360] on its journey to be made in accordance with the German-American exchange agreement will neither be held up nor searched by the German naval forces or the naval forces of its allies. This guarantee is valid for the forthcoming voyage of the Drottningholm from Göteborg to New York, further for the voyage between New York and Lisbon83 and finally for the last return voyage from New York to Göteborg.
While the assurances given in this note verbale are undoubtedly intended to cover the points specified in the Department’s 980, April 18,84 and thus to afford the desired guarantees, the Legation has nevertheless deemed it expedient to request Foreign Office to ask its Legation in Berlin to secure a specific statement from the German Foreign Office that passengers on Drottningholm will neither be detained nor searched.
- Not printed.↩
- The Minister’s telegram No. 1635, April 21, noon, confirmed that this phrase was intended to cover the several round trip voyages between New York and Lisbon (340.1115A/2577).↩
- This telegram stated that “Safe-conduct for Drottningholm should specify it will proceed without being intercepted or stopped or any of passengers detained or searched. Department does not prescribe other terms for safe-conduct.” (340.1115A/2566)↩