740.00115 European War 1939/6449

The Swiss Minister (Bruggmann) to the Secretary of State

The Minister of Switzerland in charge of German and Italian Interests presents his compliments to the Honorable, the Secretary of State and has the honor to draw his attention to the text in its translation of a note from the German Government transmitted by cable:

Primo: In agreement with the French Government, the United States diplomats, consuls, and journalists, as well as Red Cross representatives, Quakers, and members of the Secours Mennonites aux Enfants, previously held in France together with their families, have been transferred to Germany and put up in hotels in Baden-Baden under suitable conditions. Complete lists of names of these persons shall follow in the near future.

Secundo: The German Government proposes to exchange these United States nationals against persons of equal status together with their families now in the hands of the United States, to wit: first, members of the former German Consulate General in Algiers, together with their families and domestics; second, those 13 German nationals who have been brought to the United States from Colombia under the original exchange agreement and to whom the Colombian and United States Governments have granted a status of a diplomatic character but who are, now as before, being held in the United States in spite of numerous representations by the German Government; third, the remaining German nationals from Central and South America held in the United States and brought to that country under the provisions of the original exchange agreement; fourth, the Italian nationals brought to the United States from Central and South American countries under the provisions of the original exchange agreement, which should include approximately 23 persons; and, fifth, French diplomats and persons equal to them in status together with their families.

The negotiations for the exchange as far as the groups listed ‘first’ to ‘fourth’ are concerned shall be handled by the German Government and the Italian Government, respectively, through the intermediary of their Protecting Power. As far as arrangements regarding an exchange of French diplomats in the United States are concerned, the interests of these persons shall be safeguarded by the French Government itself.

Tertio: First, names of the members of the former German Consulate General, including their families and domestics, are: Consul General Peter Pfeiffer; Vice Consul Dr. Hans Schwarzmann, together with wife and 2 children; Consular Secretary Walter Gohl with wife and 4 children; Staff Member Otto Riedel and wife; Clerk Oskar Mehle and wife; Stenographer Mrs. Martha Pappert-Ackermann; Stenographer Miss Ottilie Humpert; Stenographer Miss Eva Kowalski; Clerk Willi Maith; Repatriation Official Heinz Kehr; Nursemaid Miss Anni Wisse; Housekeeper Miss Maria Singer; and Cook Miss Katja Mueller.

Second, names of the 13 Germans from Colombia brought to the United States under the provisions of the original exchange agreement, and to whom the Colombian and the United States Governments [Page 82] have granted a status of a diplomatic character and who, in spite of that, have been held back in the United States, are as follows: Rudolph Bethke, Hanna Bethke, and children Klara, Gisela, and Wolfgang Bethke; Gustav Dobe; Theodor Funck; Ernst Kaiser; William Lange; Joachim Marggraff; Helmuth Schmidt, Gerda Schmidt, and son Klaus Schmidt.

Quarto: The German Government is furthermore desirous of including in the exchange the members of the former Armistice Commission in North Africa (Deutsche Kontrollinspektion Afrika). As an explanation of why the exchange of the Armistice Commission is “being requested by the German Government, reference is made to the fact that they had an extraterritorial status duly recognized by the French Government and they therefore belonged to the group of persons with a status of a diplomatic and consular character. These persons have not maintained any activity directed against the United States or Great Britain, but have merely developed a control activity based on the terms of the Armistice agreement with France. The German Government hopes that the United States Government will pay heed to the foregoing arguments and agree to the inclusion of the members of the Armistice Commission in the exchange.

Quinto: The German Government proposes as place of exchange Lisbon, as last year. The exchange would take place under the same assumptions and conditions as during the German-American diplomatic exchange last year. The United States exchange group now in Germany would consequently be released from German territory as soon as (a) the listed members of the former German Consulate General in Algiers, including their families and domestics, and (b) the groups of German, French, and Italian nationals mentioned under ‘Secundo’ and more clearly defined under ‘second,’ ‘third,’ ‘fourth,’ and ‘fifth,’ have arrived in Lisbon complete. Should there be no possibility that all groups arrive at the same time in Portugal, it should be arranged that the groups first arrived there remain on Portuguese territory under the guarantee of the Portuguese Government until all exchange groups of both parties to the arrangement have completely assembled in Portugal. Only when the participating governments, which means the German, Italian, French, and United States, have declared to the Portuguese Government that their groups have completely arrived on Portuguese territory, these various groups of all participating powers should be released from that territory. The Portuguese Government is to be asked by all participating governments to accept the guarantee for this exchange.

Sexto: As soon as the United States Government has agreed to the German proposals as to principle, the German Government shall get in touch with the Portuguese Government regarding the execution of the exchange and inform the Italian and French Governments accordingly.

Septimo: In the interest of a speedy fulfillment of the exchange, the German Government now makes the following detailed proposals:

First, the boats which shall be considered by the American Government for the transport of the members of the German-Italian exchange group partly in Great Britain and partly in the United States, and vice versa for the transport of the United States diplomats and persons similar in status from Lisbon to the United States, will have to be [Page 83] furnished with safe-conducts by all the warring nations provided that the boats shall not be armed and shall not travel in a convoy. The assurances of safe-conduct include that these ships, on their trip to Lisbon and back, shall be exempt from any stopping, searching, or other action on the part of a warring power. In order to enable the German Government to advise the German sea unit, as well as Germany’s allied nations, the following will have to be communicated to the German Government ten days before the beginning of the trip: (a) Name of ships; (b) nationality of ships; (c) shipping line; (d) home port; (e) identification marks of the ships (exact description of size and tonnage); (f) speed of the ships; (g) course of the ships; and (h) time of departure and time of arrival in the various ports which will have to be touched by the vessels.

The name of the ship as well as the flag will have to be painted so that they are clearly visible on both sides of the ships. Also, the rear deck must bear a reproduction of the flag and, finally, both sides have to bear the name ‘Diplomat.’

The ships will also have to travel fully illuminated at night and the recognition marks stipulated in the foregoing paragraph will have to be clearly and sufficiently visible at night.

Second, the German Government stresses that the members of the German and Italian exchange group be, if possible, brought jointly from the United States and Great Britain respectively to Lisbon and that the French diplomats together with their relatives in the United States be included in the transport of German and Italian nationals.

Third, the German Government is prepared under the condition of reciprocity to permit that, besides the luggage of the American exchange group which has been brought to their present place of confinement, all their household goods (with the exception of furniture) also may be taken along—but on the other hand, the German Government must ask that the property left behind in North Africa by the members of the former German Consulates General in Algiers and Casablanca be transported to Lisbon and received there at the latest upon the arrival of the German exchange groups.[”]