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

740.00114A Pacific War/181: Telegram

The Minister in Switzerland (Harrison) to the Secretary of State

Bern, September 13, 1942.
[Received September 13—3:04 p.m.]

4186. Department’s 2061, August 29. Swiss Legation, Tokyo, telegraphs following in French September 10.

“The Minister for Foreign Affairs replies to me as follows:

1. The Imperial Government directs the attention of American Government to fact that it had made known to the latter as soon as hostilities began that it would apply mutatis mutandis to prisoners of war the Geneva Convention although it had not ratified it and is therefore not bound by this act.

2. Imperial Government has never refused and will not refuse in future to accept and to deliver to addressees postal parcels containing foodstuffs and clothing envisaged under article 37 of the Convention regarding prisoners of war, therefore the 640 tons of supplies sent by American Red Cross have been admitted and will be distributed at Manila and in other regions, further supplies amounting to several thousand tons are en route for Japan. Imperial Government protests with energy against attitude adopted by American Government which spread by radio or other means the rumor that Japanese Government refused the supplies sent by the United States and that such act on the part of Japan would constitute a violation of the Convention.

3. Imperial Government must maintain for the moment its refusal to allow, for strategical reasons, any vessel to cross the Western Pacific. As it has no intention of sending to Lourenço Marques, Japanese ships other than the exchange vessels, relief from the American Red Cross can be transported only with the latter ships.”

Original French text follows next airmail pouch.⁵²

Harrison

52. Despatch No. 3307, September 14, not printed.