840.51 FC 21/10–444: Airgram
The Ambassador in Colombia (Lane) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 16—11 a.m.]
A–878. Reference Department’s confidential instruction No. 2466 of September 26, 1944,16 file No. 840.51 Frozen Credits 21/55.
In the course of a conversation on October 3 with the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,17 the Counselor of Embassy found occasion to refer to the Ministry’s note of May 5, 1944, a copy of which was enclosed in the Embassy’s despatch No. 3727 of May 6, 1944,18 on the subject of remittance of funds from Germany for the protection of German interests in Colombia. Occasion was taken to call attention to the distinction made in the Department’s instruction under reference between uninterned individuals who are in need of financial assistance, and interned Axis nationals, and it was pointed out that all charges in connection with the latter were met by the United States Government from its own funds.
Dr. Umana Bernal did not recall that there had been any replies received to the inquiries made by the Foreign Office last May of the Axis powers regarding the remittance of funds for interned individuals, but said that he would look into the matter. He did not seem to feel it necessary to raise the matter with the Governments of Germany, Italy, and Japan in the absence of any replies from them, but rather seemed to feel that if there were no pending problem the matter might be allowed to rest. Any further information in regard to the matter which the Foreign Office may make available to the Embassy will be promptly forwarded to the Department.