854.24/96: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Switzerland (Harrison)98
740. Your 1616, March 11. The requests of the Swiss for commodities cannot be commented on at this time inasmuch as any such proposal from the Swiss Legation here has not been received by us. However, the last sentence of paragraph 3 of your cable to the effect “that civilian requirements are to be taken care of by at least part of the imports under the compensation agreement,” is a matter of concern. We refer you to paragraph 2 of the letter to Dr. Sulzer of December 14, 1942 signed by Foot and Riefler which is an essential part [Page 899] of the agreement in this connection. It is there stated that the goods to be supplied by the United Kingdom and the United States “are destined for the exclusive use of the Swiss military authorities”.
Board of Economic Warfare desires information of any change, as is indicated by your cable, which has been made in the original agreement. London has received substance of this message.
- Repeated on the same date to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom as telegram No. 1861, with the following introductory sentence: “The following telegram has been sent to Bern”.↩