740.00114 Pacific War/125: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Switzerland ( Harrison )
397. American interests Far East—prisoners of war camps. Your 410, 411, 413 and 417, all January 18th.7 While the Japanese Government has assumed the obligation under Article 14 of the Geneva Prisoners of War Convention to provide every kind of medical attention prisoners of war need, it is possible that there is a limited supply in Japan of the medicines used in the treatment of beriberi, dysentery, diphtheria, bronchitis, rheumatism, and many of the other diseases from which American prisoners of war in Japanese hands are suffering. Although the Japanese Government is obligated to provide such medicines the United States Government is prepared to ship them by air to a convenient point where they may be picked up by the Japanese provided that the Japanese Government will undertake that obligation and arrange for the reception and distribution of the medicines in accordance with the terms and spirit of the Geneva Prisoners of War Convention. Several shipments might be made to [Page 963] some point adjacent to Japanese-occupied territory, there to be picked up by the Japanese for distribution under the supervision of the International Red Cross representatives in Japan and Japanese-controlled territory.
The foregoing observations do not apply to furnishing quinine for the treatment of malaria, chills, etc., as it is known that the Japanese have large supplies of that drug. Request Swiss Minister Tokyo to urge Japanese Government to make adequate quantities of quinine available immediately for the treatment of American prisoners of war in Japanese hands.
In addition to the responsibilities it has assumed under the Geneva Convention, the following considerations might be pointed out to the Japanese Government by the Swiss Minister:
- 1.
- Principles of humanity should prompt the detaining Power to make a special effort to provide the best care possible for sick prisoners of war.
- 2.
- Medical facilities provided by the United States Government for Japanese prisoners of war are excellent, being equivalent to those provided for personnel of the American armed forces.
- None printed.↩