Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1943, The British Commonwealth, Eastern Europe, the Far East, Volume III

740.00114A Pacific War/556: Telegram

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

Washington , September 30, 1943.

2393. Department’s 1187, May 18,⁸ and 1880, August 6; your 2179, April 7,⁹ and 5034, August 17.¹⁰ Please request Swiss Government in reference to communication submitted to Japanese Government on May 26 to present to Japanese Government a communication in the following sense:

“The Government of the United States desires to inform the Japanese Government that the Soviet Government, in implementation of its agreement to permit the passage through Soviet territory of relief supplies destined for Allied prisoners of war and civilian internees in Japanese custody in the Far East, including the Philippine Islands, is in fact now receiving on Soviet territory 1500 weight tons per month of relief supplies from the United States, to be held for onward shipment to Japan for distribution to Allied prisoners of war and civilian internees. The fact that supplies are moving forward should serve to disabuse the Japanese Government of any doubts it may have had whether the shipment via Soviet territory of supplies for the relief of Allied nationals in the Far East, as suggested by the Japanese Government itself, was feasible. The Government of the United States, therefore, looks forward to the early receipt from the Japanese Government of a reply to the communication submitted to the Japanese Government by the Swiss Legation at Tokyo on May 26 last, to which thus far no reply has been received.”

Please request most urgent treatment of this matter and inform Department of date above communication delivered to Japanese Government¹¹ and, if possible, when a reply may be expected.

Berle

8. Quoted in the Department’s telegram No. 365, May 26, 9 p.m., to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union, p. 803.
9. Post, p. 1019.
10. Not printed.
11. The Legation in Switzerland advised the Department in telegram No. 6456, October 14, that the Swiss had informed the Japanese Government of this communication on October 9 (740.00114A Pacific War/572).