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

740.00114 European War 1939/2026b: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Switzerland (Huddle)

Washington, December 18, 1941.

331. American interests. Please request the Swiss Government through its representative at Tokyo²¹ to make a communication in the following sense to the Japanese Government:

“It is the intention of the Government of the United States as a party to the Geneva Prisoner of War Convention and the Geneva Red Cross Convention, both of July 27, 1929,²² to apply the provisions of those conventions.

It is, furthermore, the intention of the Government of the United States to apply the provisions of the Geneva Prisoner of War Convention to any civilian enemy aliens that may be interned, in so far as the provisions of that convention may be adaptable thereto.

Although the Japanese Government is a signatory of the above conventions, it is understood not to have ratified the Geneva Prisoner of War Convention. The Government of the United States nevertheless hopes that the Japanese Government will apply the provisions of both conventions reciprocally in the above sense.

The Government of the United States would appreciate receiving an expression of the intentions of the Japanese Government in this respect.”

Hull

21. Camille Gorgé, Swiss Minister in Japan.
22. Foreign Relations, 1929, vol. i, pp. 336 and 321, respectively.