740.00115 P.W./8–544
The Department of State to the Spanish Embassy
Memorandum
The Department of State refers to memorandum (No. 179, Ex. 119.01) dated August 5, 1944 from the Spanish Embassy5 in charge of Japanese interests in the continental United States transmitting a communication received through the Ministerio de Asuntos Extranjeras at Madrid from the Japanese Government requesting a report on the Japanese nationals held by the American authorities at Saipan Island covering the treatment they are being accorded and if possible their number and names.
The American Government has in conformity with Articles 77 and 79 of the Geneva Prisoners of War Convention of 19296 been forwarding through the International Red Cross Committee and the protecting Power for transmission to the Japanese Government the names of Japanese nationals taken prisoner of war or interned by United States authorities. The Japanese Government has reciprocally been reporting through the International Red Cross Committee for transmission to the United States Government the names of American nationals held in custody by it. The United States Government is prepared on this reciprocal basis to transmit the names of Japanese nationals both prisoners of war and civilian internees held in custody [Page 1127] on Saipan Island. The names are being collected and will be forwarded as soon as they are received in Washington.
The Spanish Embassy may desire to point out to the Japanese Government in this connection that the names of considerable numbers of American nationals known to be prisoners of war of Japan have not yet been officially reported and that since March 1, 1944 the Japanese Government has reported the names of only 60 American prisoners of war and the deaths of 19 prisoners of war. In this same period, the names of 545 civilian internees have been transmitted by the Japanese Government but these are duplicates of names previously reported. The United States Government expects that the Japanese Government will as speedily as possible furnish to the International Red Cross Committee the names of all American prisoners of war and civilian internees not yet officially reported.7
The Spanish Embassy’s memorandum transmits the Japanese Government’s request for a report on the conditions under which Japanese nationals are being held in Saipan and the treatment being accorded to them. The Japanese Government has consistently refused to permit representatives of the protecting Power and the International Red Cross Committee freely to visit the camps and to report on the conditions under which American nationals are held in Japanese-occupied territory. The United States Government again states its willingness to abide by its undertakings regarding the application of the Geneva Prisoners of War Convention. At such time as the Japanese Government extends reciprocity for representatives of the protecting Power, Switzerland, to visit and report on the camps in the Philippine Islands and other Japanese-occupied territories, the United States Government is prepared to permit visits by representatives of Spain or of any other neutral power that the Japanese Government may designate to inspect the camps not only on Saipan but also on the Marshall Islands.
Immediately upon the receipt of advice that the Japanese Government has undertaken to fulfill its commitments with respect to camp visits in Japanese-occupied territories the Government of the United States will be pleased to make arrangements for accredited representatives to inspect the camps and to report on the conditions under which Japanese nationals are held by the American authorities on Saipan and the Marshall Islands.
[A further memorandum, No. 240, Ex. 150.000, was sent to the Department by the Spanish Embassy on November 22. It indicated the Japanese desire to have as soon as possible the data already [Page 1128] solicited regarding Japanese residents on Saipan and “urgently” requested the names and number of Japanese under American authority on Tinian and Guam. The Department’s reply on December 6 stated that “partial lists of the Japanese civilians on Saipan Island and on Tinian Island were forwarded by the Prisoner of War Information Bureau, Office of the Provost Marshal General, War Department, on November 30’ to the International Red Cross Committee for transmission to the Japanese Government” and that “The census of Japanese civilians on these islands and on Guam is being continued and the list of names will be forwarded by the Prisoner of War Information Bureau to the International Red Cross Committee as soon as the lists are compiled.” (740.00115 P.W./11–2244)]
- Not printed.↩
- Signed July 27, 1929, Foreign Relations, 1929, vol. i, p. 336.↩
- For correspondence on Japanese treatment of American prisoners of war and civilian internees, see pp. 919 ff.↩