740.00115 European War 1939/7127
The Swiss Minister ( Bruggmann ) to the Secretary of State
Ref. No. VIII–F–1
The Minister of Switzerland in charge of German, Italian and French interests presents his compliments to the Honorable the Secretary of State and has the honor to refer to his note of July 7 and to the previous exchange of notes, concerning the proposed repatriation of officials and assimilated categories of nationals of the United States and of other American republics, who were removed from French to German territory in exchange for persons of equal status, together with their families, now in the hands of the United States.
The Minister begs to draw attention to a new note from the German Government, transmitted by cable, which reads in translation as follows:
“It appears from the American note of July 7 that the basic principles of the German proposals were misjudged. The German Government wishes to effect the diplomatic-consular exchange but—in view of previous promises on the part of the American Government—expects the simultaneous repatriation of the group of German nationals designated hereafter:
There are in American internment camps more than 900 German nationals who came to the United States from Central and South American countries in preparation for their repatriation and on the strength of the corresponding official promises from the American Government. As an example, the American Government explicitly recognized the obligation assumed by the American Legation in Bogotá [Page 103] to grant safe conduct to the German nationals from Colombia. Reference is made to the memorandum from the Department of State dated March 3, 194233 (regarding the status of 56 non-official Germans who were sent to the United States from Colombia in anticipation of the exchange of diplomatic, consular and other official personnel between the United States, certain other republics, and Germany). The American Government has explicitly maintained to the Swiss Legation its previous promise to permit the departure of German nationals from Central and South America on private and neutral vessels when the opportunity arises. In reply to later repatriation proposals, the American Government merely pointed out that there are no possibilities of returning at the present time.
The request of the German Government that this group be repatriated now does not, therefore, represent a new demand which had not, up to now, been taken into consideration by the American Government, but rather deals with the settlement of a matter which can absolutely be expected in view of the declarations of the American Government.
The list submitted with the American note of April 3 contains only a part of the German nationals who belong to that group. It would seem that the list was compiled without the knowledge of the persons affected, since it not only contains persons who had died or had returned to Germany in the meantime, but also—especially in the group from San Domingo—persons who, without doubt, do not wish to return to Germany. Furthermore, it contains cases involving the separation of families which are jointly interned.
The German Government considers itself justified in requesting the inclusion in the present repatriation of all the German nationals from Central and South American countries who were removed to United States camps and who have not declared in writing to the Protecting Power that they refuse to return to Germany. The German Government agrees to the departure, to the extent previously designated, of the officials of the representations maintained in France by the United States, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, San Domingo and San Salvador, who were removed to Germany, in exchange for the repatriation of the group of Consul General Pfeiffer, as well as the French diplomats held in the United States. In the event that its request for repatriation of all the German nationals from Central and South American countries who are held in the United States and who are willing to return is granted, the German Government is prepared, in order to simplify and expedite the repatriation, to exclude in this connection those German nationals who are still in the countries mentioned. The mutual exchange of civilians relating to the Central and South American countries would then be dependent upon the direct negotiations with the governments of these countries, in the manner outlined in the American note under reference.”
- Not printed.↩