311.9415/435a
The Department of State to the Spanish Embassy
The Department of State acknowledges the receipt of the memorandum no. 97 EX 108.03 of May 4, 1943 from the Spanish Embassy in charge of Japanese interests in continental United States, transmitting a communication from the Japanese Government with regard to a further exchange of United States and Japanese nationals.
The United States Government continues to desire that the second exchange take place at the earliest possible date and is in principle agreeable to the Japanese Government’s suggestion that it be made at Marmagão in Portuguese India. The United States Government proposes to use for the exchange the Swedish motorship Gripsholm, [Page 876] which was used in the first exchange. It is suggested that both governments approach the Portuguese Government to obtain its consent in principle to an exchange at Marmagão. The United States Government for its part is taking this action.
The United States Government is agreeable to the inclusion in the exchange of nationals between the United States and Japan of officials and unofficial nationals being exchanged between Chile and Japan and has so informed the Chilean Government.
The United States Government is agreeable to the inclusion in the exchange of the six Japanese and two Argentine nationals referred to in paragraph 4 of the annex to the Japanese communication.
The Department has not yet received the list of 70 additional persons to be repatriated from the United States, 10 international merchants to be repatriated from Peru and 70 diplomats and international merchants from Chile referred to in paragraph 4 of the annex to the Japanese communication. It is requested that these lists be provided as soon as possible in order that their consideration may not delay the execution of the exchange.
Among the Japanese nationals named by the Japanese Government for repatriation in one or more of the lists previously presented to the Department of State by the Spanish Embassy, there are numerous individuals named whose existence and whereabouts the United States Government has been unable to determine despite diligent efforts through all of its agencies. A list of those names is attached.26 It is requested that the Spanish Embassy and the Japanese Government check the accuracy of these names and provide all possible additional information regarding these individuals which would be of assistance in determining their identity and their whereabouts. It is suggested that the individuals in question may have returned to Japan prior to the outbreak of hostilities, as every effort to locate them within the jurisdiction of the United States has failed to reveal their whereabouts.
There is also enclosed a list26 of four individuals named in the annex to the Japanese Government’s communication under acknowledgement who were not named in the lists referred to in that annex when those lists were received from the Embassy by the Department. One of these has been identified. All possible additional information that would assist in the prompt identification of the other three individuals is requested.
The Department is proceeding with the preparation of a passenger list of Japanese subjects for the Gripsholm which takes into consideration the observations of the Japanese Government on the November 3 [Page 877] list27 and will communicate with the Spanish Embassy further in this connection at the earliest possible opportunity.
- Not printed.↩
- Not printed.↩
- See memorandum of November 3, 1942, to the Spanish Embassy, Foreign Relations, 1942, vol. i, p. 444.↩