740.00115 European War 1939/6345: Circular airgram
The Secretary of State to the Diplomatic Representatives in the American Republics
On April 15, 1943 the Department sent to the diplomatic missions in the other American Republics a series of instructions31 transmitting copies of correspondence with the Swiss Legation at Washington in charge of German and Italian interests regarding the repatriation of United States officials and nationals assimilated to officials seized by the Germans and Italians on French territory.
The Department has received from the Italian Government a response31 to its communication of April 3 which may be interpreted [Page 96] as an invitation to renew the general exchange of nationals which was terminated last June by the act of the German Government.
It was not the intention of the Department in writing its communication of April 3 to the German and Italian Governments to reopen the question of the general exchange of nationals since such a general exchange is not now feasible. It was however the Department’s intention to obtain the release of the various officials of the American Republics who are held by the enemy in Europe and to discharge certain obligations to certain of the other American Republics to repatriate enemy nationals deported from those Republics for repatriation prior to the collapse of the exchange. The Department’s proposal was drawn up in a manner to permit any collateral negotiations by other of the American Republics within the general framework of its proposal which would satisfy their requirements without reopening the question of a general exchange.
United States Government for its part is not seeking from the German Government repatriation of United States nationals who were left in German-controlled territory when the general exchange collapsed nor of United States nationals without claim to official or semiofficial status who were in French territory. It is assumed that the other American Republics will similarly wish in connection with this particular exchange to limit their requirements of the Germans except in so far as the German Government may be in default in regard to specific commitments made before the exchange collapsed. There are not believed to be more than twenty or thirty individuals from two or three of the other American Republics who are covered by such defaulted commitments.