711.62114 Sick/29
The Secretary of State to the Swiss Minister (Bruggmann)
The Secretary of State presents his compliments to the Honorable the Minister of Switzerland in charge of German interests in the United States and has the honor to refer to the Minister’s note, Ref. No. VIII–N, dated September 11, 1943, with reference to the mutual repatriation by the American and German Governments of seriously sick and seriously wounded prisoners of war.
The United States Government is compiling a list, of the nature requested under quinto in the German Government’s note, of the German prisoners of war and protected personnel held by the American armed forces in the United States and North Africa who are eligible for repatriation. This list when completed will be forwarded to the Combined Repatriation Committee, which has been established at London by this Government and the British Government to facilitate coordination of arrangements for the proposed exchange of sick and wounded prisoners of war, and will be transmitted by telegraph by the American Embassy at London to the American Legation at Bern for transmission to the German Government through the Swiss Government.
The Secretary of State would be grateful if the Minister of Switzerland would ask his Government to request from the German Government a similar list of the American prisoners of war and protected [Page 72] personnel whom the German Government considers eligible for repatriation and to forward a copy of this list to the American Legation at Bern which will transmit it to the American Embassy at London for the Combined Repatriation Committee. The Secretary of State would also appreciate it if the Minister of Switzerland would ask that a copy of this list be transmitted to Washington for communication to the Department of State.
With regard to the request made under tertio of the German Government’s note, the German Government may be assured that German prisoners of war and protected personnel in North Africa who are eligible for repatriation will also include those persons not held by the British or American authorities.