Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1942, General; the British Commonwealth; the Far East, Volume I

840.48 Refugees/2946

Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of the American Republics (Bonsal) to the Undersecretary of State (Welles)

[Washington,] April 24, 1942.

Mr. Welles: I refer to the telegrams⁷ which we have recently received from Mr. James G. McDonald, Mr. Paul Baerwald, and Mr. George L. Warren⁸ concerning the status of a number of refugees (enemy alien citizens) currently on the Portuguese vessel San Tomé bound from Europe to Mexican and Cuban ports. The majority of these refugees are said to have Cuban visas. However a Cuban decree of April 18 prohibits the entry into Cuba of enemy aliens, even though they may possess valid visas. This decree undoubtedly works a considerable hardship upon the 300 immigrants on the San Tomé who should arrive in Cuba within the next two or three days.

I have taken the matter up with Mr. Briggs⁹ in Habana in accordance with your instruction’s and indicated to him that we feel it desirable that the Cuban Government allow the admission of these people who were already en route when the decree was issued. I have also had a conversation with Mr. George Warren and have told him that we would do whatever we appropriately could in the matter.

However, regardless of the outcome in this case, it seems to me that a matter of major policy is involved. When I talked to Mr. Briggs he pointed out that on the one hand we are now indicating a desire to have the Cubans admit some 300 enemy aliens while, on the other hand, our recent policy as laid down, notably in the Department’s telegram 158, of March 28, to Habana,¹⁰ and in a recent circular on Axis methods of introducing agents in this Hemisphere,¹¹ tends toward restriction and close scrutiny of all enemy alien movements. Mr. Briggs pointed out that the Cuban Government, acting in part at our inspiration, is still holding at Tiscornia the large number of immigrants which arrived on the S. S. Guinee. In connection with these cases a certain amount of information has been requested from us. To date about fifty cases have been found in which the Cuban visas would appear to be either fraudulent or unauthorized.

When Mr. George Warren came to see me he emphasized the impossibility in his opinion of any but bona fide refugees being included on these vessels under present circumstances. I frankly find it impossible to agree with his thesis.

We have been devoting a good deal of time, energy and money to the removal of Axis agents, both official and unofficial, from the other American republics. We have also been trying to secure the cooperation of the governments of those republics in carefully scrutinizing immigrant and resident aliens.

It is quite obvious that the conditions under which enemy aliens are now being brought over with the help of the Joint Distribution Committee and of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society do not provide for such scrutiny. It may be that all of the refugees are bona fide, as Mr. Warren apparently believes. Their documents are certainly not all in order as may be seen from the experience the Cubans are having with those from the Guinee.

The action of the Cuban and Mexican Governments in excluding enemy alien immigrants for the time being is perhaps more drastic than we would have wished, but if we are to suggest a modification it should only be on the basis of some arrangement in Europe whereby the granting of documents to these people could be systematized and whereby the information available to all of the American republics might be pooled. Mr. “Warren of the Visa Division could undoubtedly furnish some useful suggestions.

If this Government wishes to do something constructive in the matter, I would suggest that, instead of facilitating the indiscriminate entry of these people into the other American republics (the funds used for the purpose are almost all supplied in this country) there be established in the United States one or more “free zones” within which refugees could be concentrated for the duration of the war with a view to their repatriation if and when, or to their eventual admission as immigrants into the United States, provided they qualify at a later date.

The most recent information from Habana would seem to indicate reluctance on the part of the Cuban Government to admit the aliens on the San Tomé.

Philip W. Bonsal

7. Not printed.
8. Mr. McDonald was Chairman of the President’s Advisory Committee on Political Refugees, Mr. Baerwald was a Director, and Mr. Warren, Executive Secretary.
9. Ellis O. Briggs, Counselor of Embassy in Cuba.
10. Not printed.
11. Circular instruction to American diplomatic and consular officers in the Western Hemisphere, dated February 14, 1942; not printed.