740.00115A PW/5–945: Airgram
The Minister in Switzerland (Harrison) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 16—6 p.m.]
A698. American Interests—Japan. Legation’s 1936, April 3.41 Swiss Foreign Office note, May 8, states Swiss Legation Tokyo telegraphed food situation at Futatabi camp becoming more and more critical.
Since bombardment of Kobe on March 17, food distributed until the end of the month consisted practically only of bread, rice, gruel and sausages of very bad quality. No breakfast given to internees between March 20 and March 27.
Swiss Consulate Kobe was able to send some foodstuffs to camp and Swiss Legation continuing its efforts in endeavor to obtain from Japanese Foreign Office amelioration of food situation at Futatabi.
[In telegram 1789, May 12, 8 p.m., to Bern, the Department requested that the Swiss Government protest to the Japanese Government regarding instructions issued by Japanese military authorities directing the murder of persons captured by or surrendering to Japanese armed forces in the Philippines; for a paraphrase of the text, see Department of State Bulletin, September 9, 1945, page 354.]
- Not printed; it reported information from Mr. Gorgé concerning the general scarcity of food in Japan (740.00115A PW/4–345).↩