Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1943, General, Volume I

702.5451/3: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Minister in Switzerland (Harrison)

Washington, January 20, 1943.

162. American interests. Your 5919, December 16.² Subject to conditions hereinafter stated, please transmit following communication to Swiss Government for presentation verbatim to German Government:

“The concern which the United States Government has long felt over the German Government’s practice of restricting the staffs of Swiss consular offices charged with the representation of American interests in Germany and German-occupied areas which has increasingly interfered with the efficiency with which those offices have been able to discharge their responsibilities has been greatly increased by the recent action of the German Government in requiring the closing of the Swiss Consulates at Salonika and Amsterdam. The United States Government is of the opinion that such restrictions upon the representation of belligerent interests by neutral powers are warranted only if temporary in character and if dictated by military necessity in areas where active military operations are in progress. The German Government should be fully cognizant of the fact that the United States Government has in no way restricted the representation by the Swiss Government of German interests in the United States or in territory under its control. The German Government should be aware, furthermore, that the maintenance of such an attitude on the part of the United States Government cannot but be a matter of importance to the German Government, in view of the extent of German interests in areas under the control of the United States. Unless, however, the German Government will henceforth assure the observance of its obligations in respect to the representation of the interests of the United States in areas under German control and will give prompt evidence of its intention to do so, the United States Government will be constrained reciprocally to reconsider the position which it has hitherto maintained in this respect.”

Foregoing was quoted in Department’s 6523 of December 22, 1942 to Embassy London,² which also stated:

“In view of implications regarding North Africa and any other areas that might be occupied by forces of the United Nations please ascertain whether British Government concurs in foregoing statement of policy and wishes to address a similar communication to German Government.”

Embassy London’s 321 of January 13, 1943⁴ stated:

“Letter dated January 9 from Foreign Office official reads as follows:

‘In reply to your letter of the 24th December last enclosing a document about the representation of British and United States interests in the Netherlands, I am writing to say that we are agreeable to instructing our Minister at Berne⁵ to address a communication to the Swiss Government on similar lines to that which the United States Government propose to send.

I enclose the draft of the note which we intend to ask Mr. Norton to deliver, and we should be grateful to know if you have any comments on its terms. Mr. Norton would be asked to concert with his United States colleague as to the time and manner of delivery.

As Talbot⁶ has already mentioned to you on the telephone, we have made no reference to Salonika as we ourselves have received no official news yet about the closure of the Swiss Consulate there. But we would propose to ask Mr. Norton to insert a reference to it if he has received such information.’”

Embassy’s 321 concluded with quotation of text of proposed British note for transmission to German Government, which will doubtless be communicated to you by British Minister Bern.

Please communicate to British Minister the text of this Government’s note and concert with him with view to delivery of notes at approximately the same time.

Report by telegraph date of delivery to Swiss Government and, subsequently, date of delivery to German Government.⁷

Embassy London is being appropriately informed.

Hull

2. Not printed.
2. Not printed.
4. Not printed.
5. Clifford John Norton.
6. M. J. T. Talbot, General Department, British Foreign Office.
7. January 26 was the date of delivery to the Swiss Government and February 6 to the German Foreign Office at Berlin, according to telegrams No. 618, January 26, and No. 1085, February 16, from the Minister in Switzerland (neither printed).