701.0090/1768: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Switzerland (Harrison)
1985. American interests Far East—exchange. Your 4961, August 14, 10 a.m. Upon receipt from Spanish Embassy of Japanese Government’s communication quoted in your 4961 Department is in a position to reply in following sense to Spanish Embassy85 in charge of Japanese interests:
The United States Government notes the surprise of the Japanese Government at the large proportion of Japanese nationals in the United States who have refused repatriation. However, in each case the written refusal of repatriation by the individual is on record with the United States Government and is available for inspection by the Spanish Embassy. The Japanese nationals concerned have been afforded repeated opportunities voluntarily to express their wishes. In a large number of cases the expression has been consistently negative. On the other hand some of the individuals have changed their minds two or three times and it may be expected that some of them will change them again. Whenever any of these individuals decide to accept repatriation the United States Government is ready to repatriate them in the present exchange. In accordance with this position which it has already repeatedly expressed, the Department on August 13 forwarded to the Spanish Embassy at Washington a memorandum86 [Page 906] transmitting a list of 267 additional Japanese nationals, 90 of them possessing high priority on the lists of the Japanese Government, who subsequent to the submission of the June 24 list,87 expressed their willingness to be repatriated.
The United States Government would welcome such steps as the Spanish Embassy might see fit to take to verify the actual intention of the Japanese nationals who have stated that they do not wish to be repatriated. Should interviews with representatives of the Spanish Embassy result in a change of the wishes of any of these Japanese nationals their newly-expressed intention with respect to repatriation will be respected. It is the impression of the United States Government that numerous of these individuals have refused repatriation for reasons of their own convenience or for reasons of small significance, In each instance they have been informed that they have been named for repatriation by the Japanese Government.
With respect to paragraph 2 (a) of the Japanese communication it is pointed out that 11 of the 12 family groups mentioned have registered with the Department of State their written refusal to be repatriated. So far as concerns Mr. Tsutomu Obana and his wife their names were included in the list of August 13 of Japanese nationals who are willing to be repatriated.
With regard to paragraph 2 (b) of the Japanese communication 7 of the 9 groups of individuals mentioned were already included in the list of August 13, one has refused to be repatriated and one is a national of the United States. Of the persons named in paragraph 2 (c) two are named on the list of August 13, one has refused repatriation and the wife of another has refused repatriation although efforts are being made to ascertain whether he himself will accept it. Under paragraph 2 (d) there appear the names of 33 individuals, 14 of whom were previously not recorded in the Department but urgent effort is being made to find them. Three of the remainder are known to have refused repatriation. The wife of Mr. Matao Daigo is still in Peru. It is believed that the balance of the persons named are willing to be repatriated. This point is being verified.
It is noted that the Japanese Government suggests that the exchange take place at Marmagão on October 15. In order to carry out the exchange on that date it would have been necessary for the United States Government to commence assembling the passengers for the Gripsholm on August 11, 1943. There is no use to begin assembling passengers until the Japanese Government gives its approval of the list to be embarked. The United States Government will commence to assemble passengers for the Gripsholm as soon as it is informed that the Japanese Government finds acceptable a passenger list composed of those named on the June 24 list (less those found unacceptable by the Japanese Government’s communication of July 1388) and those named in the August 13 list, with any substitutions that the Spanish Embassy may designate under instructions of the Japanese Government among those willing to be repatriated.
[Page 907]If the authorization which it is said will be given the Spanish Ambassador permits him to approve the sailing list with such minor changes as unforeseen circumstances may require, such as last-minute individual acceptances and refusals, the assembling of passengers for the Gripsholm can begin immediately upon receipt of the Spanish Embassy’s communication to that effect and the Gripsholmcan sail 21 days later if in the meantime satisfactory assurances are received that all Americans designated for repatriation who desire to return from the Far East will be embarked.