740.00112A European War 1939/36566a: Airgram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom ( Winant )

A–571. The Legation at Tangier asked whether diplomatic representatives of the Vichy Government in Tangier are to be considered enemy nationals within the meaning of General Ruling No. 11,26 and after consultation with the Treasury Department it has been decided that an affirmative reply should be made. You are requested to inform the Ministry of Economic Warfare of this view and, if no objection is perceived, to send the following airgram to the missions at Algiers, Ankara, Bern, Lisbon, Madrid, Stockholm, and Tangier:

“Question has been raised as to whether diplomatic representatives of the Vichy Government are to be considered enemy nationals within the meaning of General Ruling No. 11. The Treasury Department has expressed the view that the Vichy Government and its representatives, wherever situated, are ‘acting for’ the government of Germany and are therefore ‘enemy nationals’ within the meaning of the definition of that term as set forth in paragraph 4a (1) of the ruling. You should be guided by this interpretation of General Ruling No. 11 in passing upon transactions involving Vichy diplomatic representatives.”

Please inform the Department when the airgram has been sent.

Hull
  1. Dated March 19, 1942; for text, see 7 Federal Register 2168.