390.1115/1291: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Switzerland (Huddle)
410. Your 298, January 29. Please express this Government’s appreciation of activities of Swiss Government and of Swiss Minister at Tokyo in endeavoring to obtain authorization for Swiss Consul at Manila “to look after interests” of United States. You may explain to Federal Political Department that this Government did not intend [Page 845] that Swiss Consul at Manila should formally represent American interests and that this Government only desires him to extend to American and Philippine civilians such informal good offices as opportunity may permit.
In particular it is hoped that Swiss Consul may be able to provide facilities supplementing those of Bed Cross for transmission of reports regarding individuals and the treatment of civilians in general.
You may suggest to Swiss Government that this Government would appreciate it if Swiss Government, without reference to its previous request to the Japanese Government and separate entirely from question of formal representation of other belligerent interests at Manila, would endeavor at its discretion to obtain from Japanese authorities permission for Swiss Consul at Manila to employ his informal good offices in the manner described above.