701.9411/1630: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in Switzerland ( Huddle )
574. American interests—Japan. Department’s 379, February 7, (numbered paragraph 21) and 528, February 21.21 Brazilian Government has now requested that the exchange vessel leaving the United States stop at Rio de Janeiro in order to take on board Japanese official personnel and nationals to be repatriated from Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay. The United States Government is informing the Brazilian Government that it is willing to have the vessel make this call at Rio de Janeiro but that the consent of the Japanese Government is necessary before a definite undertaking is given.
Please request Swiss Government to inform Japanese Government that projected stop of vessel at Rio de Janeiro will permit earlier consummation of exchange and save Japanese who are to be repatriated the trouble of an unnecessary voyage to the United States with their effects. It is accordingly assumed that the Japanese Government will agree that the exchange vessel may stop at Rio de Janeiro to take on the Japanese personnel at that port and early and prompt confirmation of this assumption is expected.
- Latter not printed; it indicated that there were 612 persons in the Japanese official group from the Americas to be embarked on the vessel sailing from Lourenço Marques, and it was estimated that the vessel might be able additionally to accommodate 500 or more non-official persons (125.0040/138a).↩