740.00115 Pacific War/845½
The Department of State to the Spanish Embassy
Memorandum
The Department of State refers to its memoranda of September 1 and 2, 1942,67 in which His Excellency the Spanish Ambassador was informed of the status at that time of the proposed sailing list for the second voyage of the exchange vessel Gripsholm, and to the Spanish Embassy’s memorandum no. 406 of September 2168 setting forth more specifically the Japanese Government’s views respecting the order of priority to be followed in determining the Japanese nationals to be included in the second exchange.
As the Spanish Embassy is aware, the paucity of information available in respect to some names, the duplication of others, differences in spelling, and other circumstances have made it particularly difficult to identify and locate those named by the Japanese Government. This work has, however, progressed and more than 3,000 persons named by the Japanese Government have been identified and located. A proposed sailing list comprising the names of 1,523 of these, compiled from those mentioned in the Spanish Embassy’s lists nos. 1 to 9, inclusive, in the order of priority set forth in the Embassy’s memorandum of September 21, is now enclosed for the Spanish Embassy’s consideration.
The proposed sailing list includes more names than the number of persons that can be accommodated on the Gripsholm, but experience has shown that everyone designated for repatriation does not accept the opportunity when offered either because of a disinclination to leave the United States or because of illness or some other impediment. To avoid further unnecessary delay, therefore, it has been deemed advisable to propose a greater number than the capacity of the vessel and to leave to the Spanish Embassy the selection of those to be held over, along with others not named on the list, for a subsequent exchange. Allowance will also have to be made for whatever number of Japanese nationals it is finally determined will be embarked from Canada and from Brazil. The list has been alphabetically arranged so as to facilitate the identification and location of any particular individual whom the Spanish Embassy decides should be held over for a subsequent sailing to the extent that this may be necessary to make space available for Japanese nationals from Canada and Brazil.
[Page 445]The appropriate American authorities are being requested to inform the individuals named on the proposed sailing list of their designation by the Japanese Government for repatriation, in order that they may express their wishes with respect to repatriation and, if they desire to accept the opportunity, may prepare themselves for early embarkation. As a number of Japanese nationals whose repatriation has been requested by the Japanese Government have already indicated their desire to remain in the United States, it must be understood that if any individuals on the enclosed list should indicate a similar preference, it will be necessary to withdraw their names for further consideration.
It is expected that a minimum of two weeks will be required to enable those who are selected for and who accept the offer of repatriation on the second exchange to arrange their personal affairs and be transported to the port of embarkation. The Spanish Embassy’s early approval of the proposed sailing list would therefore be appreciated. If this approval is forthcoming in time and if the necessary assurance of safe conduct is received, the Government of the United States would like to propose December 1 as a tentative sailing date for the Gripsholm.
In this connection the Department points out that although the Japanese Government was requested through the Swiss Government early in September to give assurance of safe conduct for itself and its allies for the round-trip voyage of the Gripsholm on the second and subsequent exchanges, no such assurance has yet been received.
For its part, the Government of the United States on August 29 requested the Swiss Government69 to inform the Japanese Government that the Government of the United States would grant safe conduct for the Asama Maru and the Conte Verde as soon as the Japanese Government would indicate the revised sailing dates and furnish itineraries of these vessels, and stood ready to obtain assurances of safe conduct from the other United Nations. These assurances were likewise contained in a note dated September 1, 194270 which the Secretary of State addressed to His Excellency the Ambassador of Spain in reference to the Spanish Embassy’s memoranda no. 353 of August 26 and no. 356 of August 27,71 regarding the itineraries of the Japanese Government’s exchange vessels Asama Maru and Conte Verde.