840.48 Refugees/7–2144: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Switzerland (Harrison)
2490. The following WRB cable 78 is for Harrison and McClelland. Sincere appreciation of Department and Board for its efforts and cooperation shown in your 4223 of July 3 should be expressed to Swiss Foreign Office. According to your 4295 of July 627 and all other information available “general treatment accorded to eastern Jews” is synonymous with cold-blooded murder. Consultation with appropriate Swiss Foreign Office officials requested therefore in urgent effort to obtain their prompt further help by intervention and otherwise in rescuing Frumkin, Gorlin and Malkowsky families from such treatment.
Request continuance representations in strongest terms on behalf of these families and in compliance requests those Governments on behalf of all others holding documents issued in name of any American republic. This Government considers that German action in declaring some documents invalid is arbitrary and inconsistent with generally accepted rule that the question as to validity of passports is to be determined by the government in whose name they are issued, therefore only the government in whose name documents are issued and not Germany can deny validity. Furthermore this Government considers untenable the distinction sought to be drawn between holders of such documents now in internment camps and those holders situated elsewhere, whether such persons know Spanish or any other language and whether settled in Poland or any other country. German consignment of any persons holding documents issued in name of any American republic to the “general treatment accorded to eastern Jews” therefore viewed most seriously by this Government which must insist that all persons removed from internment camps reserved for nationals of American republics for consignment to the above mentioned general treatment or similar treatment be returned to such camps by the Germans.
The sense of the following should be conveyed in your discretion to appropriate German and satellite officials in foreign offices and foreign [Page 1101] police through any unofficial channels available to you: they must expect to bear personally the consequences should they be responsible for the consignment to the above mentioned general treatment or to similar treatment of any person bearing documents issued in the name of any American republic. Horrified by the bestiality and brutality of Nazi mass-murder some American republics have accorded the protection of their passports or other documents to certain persons. Individual German and satellite foreign office and police officials should be anxious to avail themselves of the opportunity to save human lives offered by the presentation of such documentation. They assume the responsibility and invite the consequence therefor if, instead, they indulge in fine reasoning and take action tantamount to sentencing such persons to persecution or death. Strong evidence of their concurrence with Jew and civilian population mass-murder policy and their participation in such crimes (President Roosevelt’s statement of March 24 covered consequences thereof) would furthermore be adduced from their failure to seize every available opportunity to save lives.
The safety of United States citizens is the paramount concern of this Government, but it is believed the Swiss Foreign Office recognizes that the American people and Government, regardless of nationality thereof, greatly concerned with safety all victims of Nazi persecution. Creation of War Refugee Board, solemn warnings issued by President Roosevelt, Secretary of State Hull,28 Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee are manifestations of this grave concern. The Swiss Foreign Office will understand why German contention that removal from internment camps of persons claiming American republic nationality for subjection to the “general treatment accorded to eastern Jews” involves only “internal German police measures” is unacceptable to this Government, in light of above mentioned concern and policy of exterminating Jews and other civilian peoples openly expressed by Germany. We are confident, account Switzerland’s centuries old humanitarian traditions, that Swiss Foreign Office will discover method further intercession towards obtention adequate assurances of Germany for safety of bearers of American republic passports or other documents regardless of their present whereabouts. Additional attempt to obtain for Board list of all claiming American republic nationality deported from Vittel and [Page 1102] other camps requested. The 238 names supplied to Swiss by you, as well as list of 163 names from Swiss Consulate, Paris, presumed contained your airmail 8466 of June 12.30 The fact that persons named in Department’s 2046 of June 16 [14]30 are relatives of United States citizen emphasizes importance of obtaining such lists, as well as taking of other measures indicated herein.
Position this Government against German determination on “merits of individual claims of persons holding United States or Latin American documentation” (Section 4 your 4223 of July 3, notice number 2, Part E) relates to recognition of persons making such claims as being eligible for exchange, and extension to them of treatment to which nationals of country to which they claim nationality are entitled and not to priority of exchange or method of selection of individuals to be exchanged.
Further efforts being made to have various Spanish or Swiss protected governments request suitable action in Madrid or Bern (see Department’s 2407 of July 13, WRB’s 64 and Department’s 2316 of July 6,31 WRB’s 71 regarding notice number 2, Part F). Efforts should be persistently continued, without awaiting such requests, to get results on basis attitude this Government, and attitudes those governments have communicated with Switzerland already. Please discuss with Swiss officials informally in this connection desirability of most liberal construction possible and speediest possible action upon any communications relating to protection of persons from cruelty and persecution received from any American republic. Sole object thereof is rescuing people from unprecedented brutality. Delays in action caused by strict adherence to technicalities proper under ordinary circumstances merely result, in these abnormal times, in ruthless killing of additional number of innocent people. Believe this clearly understood by Swiss officials.
Special efforts should be devoted, in view Hungarian situation, to procurement German and Hungarian assurances concerning protection, eligibility for exchange, etc., of any persons in Hungary holding documents issued in name of any American republic. Please request that all necessary representations to this effect be made by Swiss authorities. Your recommendation in last paragraph of notice 1 of your 4223 noted in this connection.