125.8575/437: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister in Switzerland (Harrison)
982. American interests—China. Your 1319, April 2; 1426, April 9; and 1446, April 10.43 Department appreciates prompt action taken by Swiss Foreign Office through Swiss Minister Tokyo to obtain deblocking of funds recently transferred to Swiss representative Peiping and recognition of right of Swiss to use such funds for representation of American interests including financial assistance to needy Americans.
Please inform Japanese Government that United States Government (1) has not contemplated blocking any fresh funds which might be transferred to this country for relief expenditures by Spanish Embassy for needy Japanese; (2) has not confiscated any Japanese blocked funds in this country.
This Government desires prompt assurances that Japanese Government has taken necessary measures to ensure full reciprocity (1) by placing in blocked accounts American funds both official and non-official in Japanese-occupied territories including Shanghai; (2) by permitting Swiss representatives to draw freely upon sums specifically transferred to Japan and Japanese-occupied territories to meet expenses of representation of interests of United States, including necessary financial assistance to needy Americans; (3) by freely licensing transactions for the liquidation of personal affairs of Americans to be repatriated, including withdrawals from their blocked accounts for liquidation of their personal affairs.
The United States Government expects that Japanese civil and military authorities in remote areas will be given particularly clear instructions in these matters so as to avoid misunderstanding and needless suffering resulting from delay in communications.
- None printed.↩