854.24/95: Telegram
The Secretary of State to
the Minister in Switzerland (Harrison)
Washington, March 23,
1943—10 p.m.
721. The following telegram has been sent to London:
- “1. Swiss Minister’s statement that ‘American Government
was now inclined to take a “milder view” of Switzerland than
heretofore [Page 898] and to
regard more sympathetically the claims of the Swiss Army’ is
generally correct. The basis for such a statement is that we
informed the Swiss Legation of our appreciation of Swiss
resistance to current German demands and gave it tangible
form by offering an advance shipment of 50 tons of toluol
and 50 tons of rubber for the Swiss Army under the
Compensation Agreement without waiting for Geleitscheine. Legation in Bern expressed similar
appreciation to Swiss Government. As evidenced by
Compensation Agreement, there is a tendency here to treat
more sympathetically requirements for Swiss Army than for
Swiss industry generally. Types of iron and steel to be
agreed upon and oats are available under Compensation
Agreement, but we have given no indication that the other
items referred to in your telegram96 will be
supplied.
- “2. Eight thousand tons of oats are available under the
Compensation Agreement in accordance with enclosure 5 to
your despatch number 6834 of December 21 (Foot’s letter to
Sulzer, dated December 14),97 If additional quantities of oats are
required, we would want the statistics supporting the
request.
- “3. We agree with you that the delay in the return of the
Swiss delegation to London operates against our
interest.
- “4. Our sympathetic attitude toward the Swiss Army should
not operate as a means of obtaining commodities of no
interest to the Army refused in the War Trade negotiations
for the reason that the Swiss were not willing to make
appropriate concessions.”
We assume that in considering possible concessions to the Swiss Army, you
will be in a position to verify (1) the Army’s actual requirements, and
(2) That the ultimate destination of any increased supplies which may be
contemplated will be the Swiss Army.