840.48 Refugees/6139b: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Switzerland (Harrison)34
1805. The following is for Harrison and McClelland and is WRB cable no. 26.
Systematic mass-extermination of Jews in Hungary has begun according to persistent and seemingly authentic reports. The presence in Hungary of the largest possible number of foreign observers may cause restraint which will directly affect the lives of 800,000 human beings in that country. Please urge, with this end in view, appropriate authorities to take immediate steps in interest of humanity to enlarge to greatest possible extent the numbers of Swiss diplomatic and consular [Page 1050] personnel in Hungary and to distribute them throughout the country as widely as possible.
All such diplomatic and consular representatives will use, it is hoped, all available means to urge desisting from further barbarism upon officials and private individuals. The Department should be informed immediately of extent of cooperation of Swiss Government.35
- Substantially the same message was sent on the same date to Ankara (No. 468), Lisbon (No. 1479), and Stockholm (No. 1010); on May 26 to Madrid (No. 1515).↩
- Switzerland was not persuaded to increase its diplomatic personnel in Hungary. Only in the case of Sweden was the proposal accepted; the Swedish Foreign Office appointed a Special Attaché to the Swedish Legation at Budapest (Wallenberg), and shortly after his arrival there, it was reported that several thousand persons were placed under effective Swedish protection.↩