125.0094/175: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister in Switzerland (Harrison)
879. Your 1383, April 4 and 1384, April 5.35 1. Department is greatly surprised to learn that the Japanese Government plans to place Belgian, Greek and Netherlands officials and non-officials on the vessel to be provided pursuant to the arrangements which have been agreed upon for the reciprocal repatriation of Japanese and American officials and non-officials, including those of the other American Republics and Canada. This Government cannot agree to undertake to fix a formula for the inclusion in this exchange of Belgian, Greek and Netherlands nationals whose inclusion would reduce the number of Americans to be repatriated. British Government has informed this Government that its exchange negotiations include repatriation of nationals of governments temporarily in Britain. United States Government must insist that although the two exchanges may be carried on simultaneously, they be considered as separate operations, and that the terms of one will not be used to restrict the scope of the other.
2. United States Government is now seeking to charter additional Swedish vessel Gripsholm, (in addition to Drottningholm) and expects that its negotiations to that end will be successful unless German Government interposes some obstacle. Japanese Government will be informed immediately upon the termination of these negotiations. If this vessel is obtained, the United States Government will be able to repatriate on its first voyage 1,585 passengers in comfortable accommodations, that is, all Japanese officials leaving this hemisphere plus approximately 1,000 Japanese non-officials. It is anticipated that the number of Japanese non-officials to be repatriated under the existing agreement will be sufficient to fill the vessel on a second voyage. United States Government accordingly recommends that Japanese Government provide ample facilities for return trip to Japan of these persons increasing correspondingly provision for transportation to Lourenço Marques of nationals of United States, other American Republics and Canada.
3. United States Government is agreeable to granting priority to nationals of United States, other American Republics and Canada in Thailand and Indochina.
4. Respecting your numbered paragraph 4 Department unable understand why category 4 (d) (Department’s 665, March 13) should [Page 413] in China be given precedence over categories 4 (a), (b), and (c). Please explain.
5. United States Government expects that nationals of other American Republics and of Canada will be extended equal treatment pari passu with American nationals and that as each priority class is evacuated names will be taken proportionately on a percentage basis from lists by nationality. Where number of nationals of any country is so small as to be insignificant entire list may be taken without applying this formula.
6. The inclusion of all Americans at Hong Kong in accordance with previous commitment of Japanese Government is definitely expected by United States Government. In order to facilitate the exchange this Government is willing that the exchange vessel stop en route at or near Shanghai, Hong Kong, Saigon, Bangkok and Singapore.
7. It is not clear whether 30 Americans in prison are in Japan, China, or elsewhere. Please send list indicating places of imprisonment and charges in each case. In regard to charges which the Japanese Government might possibly consider as of such a nature as to prevent repatriation, the Japanese Government should be informed that very serious charges could be placed on many Japanese now held by this Government. With a view to facilitating reciprocal repatriation, this Government has withheld the making of such charges. It is expected that the Japanese Government will be governed by similar principles.
8. United States Government believes willingness of Japanese Government to evacuate Belgian and Netherlands nationals from Manila should more properly be communicated to British Government and the same with respect to officials of European neutral countries. Department expects that any officials of Canada and the American Republics to whose evacuation from Manila the Japanese Government agrees will be accommodated on the exchange vessel.
9. With respect to wife of Spanish Minister Department considers her evacuation desirable. The same holds true of the Chilean nationals referred to in same paragraph of your 1383 as they are citizens of an American Republic.
10. If United States Government is successful in obtaining Gripsholm which is especially suitable for contemplated voyage, that vessel will not be ready to commence voyage from United States until May 15 and after stopping at Rio de Janeiro should arrive at Lourenço Marques about June 15. United States Government agrees, in view of necessity of proceeding immediately to second voyage, that exchange vessel should remain as short a time as possible at Lourenço Marques.
[Page 414]11. With respect to extent of effects of officials to be placed on exchange vessel United States Government would appreciate being informed as soon as possible of final Japanese position in order that United States Government may be guided by reciprocity.
12. Seven women and children of French Embassy may not be accommodated on present exchange vessel as they would displace American citizens but they may be accommodated on another vessel later if no Americans are displaced.
13. Comments on numbers given in your 1384 will follow.
- Latter telegram not printed; it indicated provisional figures of officials to be repatriated secured by the Japanese Government.↩