840.48 Refugees/4859: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Sweden (Johnson)
1399. Department’s 1194 November 5.69 The Consulate General at Istanbul reported on November 1 that the Rumanian Government was engaged in repatriating some 65,000 Jews from Transnistria. A [Page 394] further report dated December 11 indicated, however, that German pressure had forced the Rumanian Government to abandon these plans and reduce the number to be repatriated to 4,000. The Department is accordingly sending Istanbul telegraphic instructions as follows:
“The Department has no information other than that contained in your 482R98 November 26 and 530R107 December 1170 regarding the character and extent of any measures the Rumanian government may have taken to effect the repatriation of the Rumanian Jews remaining in Transnistria.
“The Department would like you to continue to utilize every opportunity to emphasize in suitable quarters the lively interest of the American Government and people in the fate of those Jews in Transnistria who remain alive today but would face extermination if left at the mercy of the retreating Nazi armies. You should leave no doubt as to the depth of the American feeling of revulsion to and abhorrence of such a disregard of the elemental laws of humanity as would be represented by the failure of the Rumanian government to take all measures within its means to prevent further slaughtering of these unfortunate people.”
You should be guided by the foregoing.