740.00114 European War 1939/2132: Telegram
The Chargé in Switzerland ( Huddle ) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 13—6:47 a.m.]
529. Legation’s 56, January 6. Following is translation of Italian note verbale January 2:
“Italian Foreign Office has received Swiss note verbale of December 24, 1941, transmitting proposal of American Government to apply during actual state of war between Italy and United States the Geneva prisoners of war and Red Cross conventions extending benefits first convention as far as applicable reciprocally to interned civilians of two countries.
Italian Foreign Office requests Swiss Legation communicate to American Government that Italian Government agrees to above proposal.
Italian Government reserves right to present further proposals for carrying out provisions of above mentioned conventions.”
Swiss Foreign Office note February 4 now forwards copy further Italian note verbale of January 22 translated as follows:
“Italian Foreign Office in accordance with reserve contained in its note of January 2 requests Swiss Legation to transmit following communication to American Government:
1. Italian Government confirms former communication and considers in force vis-à-vis United States on reciprocal basis the two international conventions subscribed Geneva 1929 relative prisoners of war and Red Cross.
2. Italian Government in order improve application prisoners of war convention proposes following points: Article 14. In conformity fourth paragraph this article Italian Government disposed on basis reciprocity consent [to] retain in prisoners of war camps doctors and medical orderlies for purpose caring for wounded and sick prisoner compatriots.
Agreement on above whenever reached shall be extended to religious personnel which according article 12 of Red Cross Convention should be repatriated.
For medical and dental care furnishing provisional artificial limbs, eye glasses, et cetera, conditions article 14 would be applied exactly as originally written. Article 21. Conformity this provision there is transmitted (appendix I) table of ranks and grades in force in Italian armed forces.
[Page 25]Regarding assimilated personnel mentioned paragraph 2 article 21 there are attached (annex 2) two copies Official Gazette number 125 May 29, 1941, containing regulations for execution of forms of militarization of civil personnel attached to active forces and table of equivalent grades. Article 23. Standards of pay of each grade are given in annex 1. (a) Italian Government suggests value of exchange applicable to points which follow be 19 lire to one dollar; (b) Italian Government will pay American officers and assimilated persons who are prisoners of war same rate of pay as indicated in aforementioned table for officers of same rank as in Italian armed forces as far as not higher than level which shall be indicated by American Government. Final clause article 23 shall naturally be applicable to these payments; (c) Italian Government would like to know if scale of payments indicated above is sufficient to assure normal living conditions (food, clothing, miscellaneous expenses) for Italian prisoners of war in United States as in Italy; (d) Italian Government proposes to make following payments on reciprocal basis in addition to treatment contemplated by the convention: Italian lire or equivalent in dollars: weekly, 10.80 for noncommissioned officers—home forces, 7.20 for enlisted men, 4.80 for Libyan personnel of all grades, 3.00 for personnel of Italian east African forces of all grades.
If proposals under point (d) are accepted Italian Government will accord similar treatment to corresponding American personnel with such differences as American Government may eventually communicate for its colored personnel.
Final clause article 23 would also be applicable to such payments; (e) payments must be made in full to Italian prisoners of war as Italian administration authorities intend to pay directly to families of Italian prisoners a part of other allowances due to respective members of family, who are in captivity. Article 24. Regarding maximum amount of cash which prisoners of various grades will be allowed to keep on their persons it is proposed that prisoners be not allowed to receive negotiable money (disponibilità di valuta coreate [corrente]) but should be allowed to spend only special monetary substitute issued by commander of camp. Article 27. Adhering to right of employment for work of prisoners of war under conditions specified in this article Italian Government wishes stipulate that imprisoning power should for duration of imprisonment allow prisoners who are victims of accidents occurring during employment, benefits set up by applicable regulations concerning workers of same category according to legislation of imprisoning power. Each Government will then regulate according own laws the question of indemnity to be granted its own nationals when they shall have returned from imprisonment for injuries occurring during imprisonment. Italian Government proposes that proper authorities of imprisoning power will ensure that prisoners of war, victims of industrial accidents during work, shall receive a proper certificate attesting to nature of accident. Article 34. It is proposed that work of tailors, shoemakers, barbers and laundrymen be considered as exceeding ordinary work of camp and be remunerated on following scale: tailors and shoemakers lire 0.45 per hour with limit of 3.60 lire per day, barbers and laundrymen lire 0.22 per hour with limit of 1.80 per day. For labor performed outside of camps scale of [Page 26] payment shall be lire 10.00 for skilled and lire 7.00 daily for unskilled worker.
Payment of above should be in addition to food lodging and clothing. Article 36. On condition of reciprocity, Italian Government disposed to permit prisoners to send in addition to a card announcing their capture a letter and a postcard per week, each letter not to exceed 24 lines and postcard should only contain several sentences regarding health of prisoners and few words of greeting. Special stationery and postcards shall be adopted to be distributed by imprisoning power.
There shall be no restrictions regarding persons to whom prisoners may address letters except prisoners in different concentration, camps cannot write each other unless related Article 68. Italian Government proposes adoption of model agreement of type annexed to the convention with change that prisoners of war who are to be repatriated, contemplated in numbers 1, 2 of letter B of model agreement should be repatriated rather than hospitalized in neutral countries.
Italian Government proposes to extend benefit of repatriation to those military persons, Italian and North American, interned in third countries who meet conditions provided in letters A and B of aforementioned model. Article 69. International Committee of Red Cross will be requested to nominate neutral members of Mixed Medical Commission. Article 76. Confirming execution of this article Italian Government proposes that ordinary funeral expenses and burial of prisoners should be met by imprisoning power. If fellow soldiers desire pay special honors, greater part of cost shall be at their expense, if authorization of camp commandant is obtained. Article 77. Prisoner Information Bureau (l’Ufficio Prigionieri Richerche [Ricerche?]) of Italian Red Cross established in Rome (Via Puglie 6) is charged with furnishing information about prisoners of war.
It is proposed that articles for use of prisoners be transmitted through respective offices of information of two countries to International Committee of Red Cross for forwarding to interested government unless accord is reached for direct transmission between abovementioned offices of information.
3. Italian Government in order improve application of tied Cross Convention proposes following points. Article 12. In accordance with provisions this article and connection with above proposals it is proposed to make following reciprocal payments in lire monthly to this personnel in addition to their lodging: medical officers, chaplains and officers attached to the administration of sanitary establishments: Lieutenant General 4200, Major General 3200, Colonel 2650, Lieutenant Colonel 2300, Major 2000, Captain 1700, Lieutenant 1400, Second Lieutenant 1100. Medical orderlies of recognised organizations will receive 1100 lire monthly. Personnel below rank of officer: Marshal of all ranks 288, Sergeant Major 216, Sergeant 144 monthly, Corporal and enlisted men 3.60 daily.
For last group monthly or daily allowance is in addition to maintenance which should always be provided by imprisoning power.
In line with this procedure it is proposed (a) that medical or religious personnel be repatriated during war in case they are wounded or sick on basis of model agreement annexed Red Cross Convention; (b) that this same personnel will enjoy treatment provided for by [Page 27] articles 9 to 13 of Red Cross Convention with sole restriction of personal liberty imposed by military exigencies; (c) that at end of war the rights be reserved to personnel mentioned above as provided by last paragraph of article 12 of Red Cross Convention; (d) that same personnel should be sent to give assistance wherever camps are maintained for Italian prisoners or civil internees with equal distribution among camps.
4. In addition to above proposals which relate to execution of various articles of Geneva Conventions Italian Government also proposes to regulate following questions on basis of reciprocity: (a) tobacco—that there be distributed free to prisoners (officers included) an amount of tobacco (pipe tobacco or cigarettes of choice) up to 35 grams per week; (b) that mess of noncommissioned officers, prisoners of war, be administered by them or that facilities be given them for running it and to extend also to noncommissioned officers privileges of last sentence of article 22 of Prisoners of War Convention.
5. Italian Government also confirms communication made in note verbale January 2 to Swiss Legation regarding extending benefits of the Prisoners of War Convention as far as applicable to civil internees of both countries on reciprocal basis.
Italian Government proposes that two Governments send each other reciprocally, through protective power, lists of civilians of two countries interned in territory of the other and successive changes as these take place.
6. Italian Government awaits the reply of American Government before considering points 2, 3, 4 of present note as being agreed upon and in force.”
Annexes 1 and 2 mentioned and copies notes following by air mail.4
- Despatch No. 2096, February 13, 1942, not printed; annexes 1 and 2 not attached to file copy of the despatch.↩