Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1943, General, Volume I

840.48 Refugees/4449: Telegram

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

Bern, September 9, 1943—4 p.m.
[Received 5:30 p.m.]

5590. From Tittmann 179, September 6. My 169 August 30 from Lisbon. Following from sure source.

a. Italian Government has authorized all French and foreign Jews residing in France in the zone over which it will not have control to transfer their residence to the zone of the Alpes Maritimes Department over which it will still have control. The Italian military authorities are in every way facilitating travel of those persons and their establishment in the new district. Some categories of Jews are provided with Italian police escort who have orders to prevent by force any opposition to their transfer.

b. Italian Government would have been willing to accept without conditions or guarantees the above-mentioned Jews as it did in the case of previous 14,000 from the Balkans were it not for the fact that the localities to which it would have been possible to send them are already occupied by Italian citizens evacuated from the bombed areas. The purpose of the “De la Sem” proposals is to relieve the Italian Government of this fresh burden and to avoid the possibility that the Jews might be deported in spite of the manifest wishes of the Italians.

c. A long delay in carrying out the proposals would compromise the desired results.

d. The “De la Sem” suggests that Osborne²⁸ and myself be authorized to contact the Italian Government (which I am told is only too willing to collaborate) with a view to solving the problem at the earliest possible moment. [Tittmann.]

Harrison

28. Sir Francis Osborne, British Minister to the Holy See.