Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1939, General, The British Commonwealth and Europe, Volume II

893.55J/8: Telegram

The Chargé in Germany (Geist) to the Secretary of State

Berlin, March 3, 1939—11 a.m.
[Received March 3—9 a.m.]

149. Embassy’s 127, February 17, 1 p.m.

1. The British Ambassador directed Holman, First Secretary, to take up the Shanghai Jewish situation at the Foreign Office. Holman informed Gilbert that in response to his statements which followed the general lines described in his telegram under reference that the Foreign Office stated they had likewise received reports of a similar tenor from the German Consul General at Shanghai but that it was difficult, if not impossible for the German Government to control the travel of German emigrants after they had left Germany. It was pointed out that emigrants might proceed from Germany to any port and transship therefrom to Shanghai or to any other point. Holman responded that what he had chiefly in mind was the German Government’s possibly “discouraging” emigrants taking passage to Shanghai on German ships direct from a German port. The Foreign Office replied that the German Government would “warn” German officials and German steamship companies of the situation in Shanghai. In relating this to Gilbert, Holman said that he could not say whether this meant that the German Government would take any practical steps to prevent German Jewish emigrants from proceeding to Shanghai and that the response cited was the extent of the assurances which he could obtain.

2. We have now taken up this matter with the Foreign Office along the lines of the Department’s 32, February 18, 4 p.m., the conversation being by Patterson with Roediger of the Juridical Division. The statements made were similar to those given Holman. Roediger stated definitely that since Jews were not desired in Germany the Government would not hinder their going anywhere, Shanghai included. However, he added that since the German Consul General at Shanghai had reported the undesirable consequences from the standpoint of the German community of Shanghai following the arrival of destitute Jews there the Foreign Office had indicated to German steamship companies that disadvantages to them might eventually attend their accepting Jews for Shanghai since the companies might ultimately have to take them elsewhere. Continuing Roediger stated that the German authorities could not prevent German steamship companies from accepting Jews as passengers and indicated clearly that they had no desire to place obstacles in the way of Jewish migration from this country. He added that in any event once Jews had left Germany for a given destination (he mentioned specifically Palestine and Cairo) they would be free to change it. He felt that the present situation at Shanghai which had been induced by the absence of visa requirements for that city with consequent abnormal influx of Jews would correct itself quickly when Jews in Germany or elsewhere learned of the adverse conditions which would confront them at Shanghai.

3. The substance of this conversation was thereafter orally conveyed to Holman at the British Embassy who remarked on the similarity of the German response to the “parallel” British and American mention of the Shanghai situation.

Geist