125.0094/174: Telegram
The Minister in Switzerland (Harrison) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 4—8:42 p.m.]
1383. American interests—Japan, exchange personnel. Department’s 665, March 13. Swiss Foreign Office has received a telegram from its Minister in Tokyo dated April 1 reporting a conversation he had March 30 with the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs28a regarding the evacuation of official and non-official persons. A summary [Page 409] of this conversation as received by the Legation in a note from the Foreign Office dated April 3 is as follows in translation:
“1. The Japanese Government anticipates that all the official representatives of the United States, Canada and Latin America states, Belgium, Greece and the Netherlands will be repatriated on the first evacuation ship. The number of these persons will be about 500 so that there will remain on the first ship about 600 places for persons without official position.
2. Regarding the evacuation of persons without official position priority should be given to those who are in Thailand and Indochina, namely about 100 persons.
3. The 500 remaining places should be reserved for the evacuation of 250 non-official persons from Japan and 250 non-official persons from China.
4. Regarding the evacuation of non-official persons from China the Japanese Government agrees to proceed first with the repatriation of the persons included under 4 (d) of your communication of March 17 (this communication contained the text of the Department’s 665, March 13).
5. Regarding the 250 non-official persons to be repatriated from Japan it is left to us (the Swiss) to decide the priority among the American, Canadian and other citizens. The Japanese Government believes that the American Government should reach a decision on this point either with or without the agreement of the interested countries.
6. The Japanese Government declares itself in agreement with the proposal for the repatriation of officials from Hong Kong but it is not in a position to assume a guarantee for the evacuation of non-official persons particularly on account of the difficulties of transport.
7. The Japanese Government will shortly give me a list of Americans imprisoned. It is believed that there are about 30 in all. I am assured that the majority could be evacuated and that very probably all the journalists will be evacuated but it is almost certain that some will not be liberated because of charges against them. Japan also declares itself ready to evacuate 1 Belgian and 12 Netherland citizens from Manila. We have also discussed the question of diplomats from neutral countries who have expressed a desire to be repatriated according to several among them. The American Government has consented to their repatriation in particular for Madame de Vigo, wife of the Spanish Minister and for seven members of the French Embassy but the Japanese Government calls attention to the fact that their evacuation would be effected at the expense of American citizens whom Japan is desirous of evacuating in the largest number possible inasmuch as they are citizens of an enemy country; under these conditions Japan could not take these wishes into consideration unless the Swiss Minister declares officially that this is the desire of the American Government. Will you please ask the American Government to indicate the names of all persons of neutral countries who according to its opinion should be repatriated with the American officials. It would be helpful if the American Government would state whether I should take measures for the evacuation of all the personnel of the Chilean Legation. There are 12 persons in all and as a result there would be 12 places less for American citizens. The Japanese [Page 410] Government considers this matter important and appears desirous of obtaining confirmation from the American Government.
The departure of the exchange ship from Japan will probably take place April 25 to arrive at Lourenço Marques about May 20. The ship chosen for the transport of the officials to be repatriated will probably be the Kamukura Maru or the Asama Maru, ships known in America. It is not excluded that Japan will propose a stop at Singapore in view of the difficulties of securing drinking water at Saigon. Naturally the Japanese Government would prefer that the exchange boat would not have to stay too long at Lourenço Marques and I am asked whether from the American end preparations are in a stage which would permit the American ship transporting all the Japanese officials included in the agreement to arrive at Lourenço Marques at about the same date as the Japanese ship.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has evinced a certain skepticism regarding the possibility of changing its decision taken as a result of the refusal of the American Government to accept the placing on board the exchange ship without restriction of the personal effects of the persons to be repatriated.
I will send you in another telegram the figures which the Gaimusho29 will communicate to me regarding the officials and non-officials to be repatriated. These figures will be subject to revision as the Japanese have not yet exact ones for certain places particularly Chefoo. The most important and urgent question is to know as exactly as possible in what way the American Government will decide about the priority among different countries for the non-official persons. The Canadians in Japan have alone more than 100 Catholic priests to be repatriated. The American Government may perhaps consider it preferable to establish percentages for the different countries.”