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

740.00114 European War 1939/2026b Suppl.: Telegram

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

Washington, January 13, 1942.

86. Department’s 330, 331, December 18.²³ Please request the Swiss Government to be good enough to inform the German, Italian and Japanese Governments in the following sense,

(1) This Government has accepted the humanitarian proposal of the International Red Cross Committee made to it on December 10, 1941,²⁴ (which it is believed is identical with one made to the German, Italian and Japanese Governments) setting up machinery for the exchange of lists of prisoners of war and of the wounded under Article 79 of the Prisoners of War Convention of 1929. This Government will also exchange lists of civilian internees in an analogous manner.

(2) This Government wishes to know if the German, Italian and Japanese Governments are disposed to take similar action on the proposal of the International Red Cross Committee.

(3) In accordance with Article 77 of the Geneva Convention, a Prisoners of War Bureau and, in addition, an Alien Enemy Information Bureau with like functions, have been established by the War Department in the office of the Provost Marshal General. These bureaus will be authorized to communicate lists of prisoners and civil internees direct to the International Red Cross Committee at Geneva and to representatives of the protecting powers. It is understood, of course, that this Government’s policy in this respect includes an expectation that the opposing belligerents will reciprocate.

The Swiss Government should be asked additionally to make the following individual communications in the sense indicated below:

[Here follow paragraphs a and b giving sense of messages to the Italian, and German Governments.²⁵]

c. To the Japanese Government:

This Government has not yet received an expression of the intentions of the Japanese Government in regard to observance of the Geneva Conventions of 1929 including the application in the present conflict of the Prisoners of War Convention, which it is understood Japan has not ratified, and in regard to the extension of the provisions of the latter Convention, in so far as they are adaptable, to any civilian enemy aliens who may be interned. It is recalled that the Swiss Government has already been requested to notify the Japanese Government of this Government’s intention to apply both Conventions, as well as to apply the provisions of the Prisoners of War Convention to civilian internees in so far as adaptable.

Hull

23. For telegram No. 330, see vol. iii, section under Italy entitled “Agreement Between the United States and Italy …”; for No. 331, see ante, p. 792.
24. Undated telegram received in the Department December 10, not printed.
25. For arrangement between the United States and Germany effected by exchange of notes march 4 and 30, 1942, regarding repatriation and hospitalization of prisoners of war, see Executive Agreement Series No. 255, or 56 Stat. (pt. 2) 1507. For arrangement between the United States and Italy to apply the two Geneva Conventions of July 27, 1929, see vol. iii.