711.62114 Sick/18
The Acting Secretary of War ( Lovett ) to the Secretary of State
Dear Mr. Secretary: I refer to your letter of July 29, 1943, SD 711.62114 Sick/7,19 in which you request information necessary to answer the Canadian Legation’s memorandum of June 24, 1943,19 a copy of which was forwarded to the War Department with your letter of July 2.19 By letter dated July 17,19 the War Department answered [Page 68] your letter under reference and furnished the then available information regarding the Canadian Legation’s memorandum.
Since that time, with the cooperation of representatives of your Department, it has been agreed that the United States and British Governments, the latter acting for the Dominion Governments and the Government of India as well as for itself, should concert, and they are now actively concerting, their replies to the enemy proposals under consideration. The procedure which the United States and British Governments have proposed to Germany, and with which your Department is familiar, contemplates, among other things, that the United States and British Governments shall carry out their projected agreements with Germany at the same time and with the same means. This will include the transport of German repatriables held in Canada and the United States to Great Britain for delivery at the point of exchange with the Germans, presumably Gothenburg, and the receipt of United States and British repatriables (including Canadian) from the Germans at that point. It is the intention of the War Department that if the proposals referred to are accepted by Germany, the United States and Canada shall coordinate with each other both the shipment of the German repatriables from their respective custodies to the United Kingdom, and the return to the United States and Canada of their respective nationals who have been picked up at Gothenburg. The foregoing meets the Canadian Legation’s memorandum as far as is presently feasible. The working out of further details as to actual shipping arrangements must await receipt of Germany’s replies.
Sincerely yours,