Office of the Historian

500.A21/189: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Minister in Switzerland (Harrison)

Washington, April 4, 1940—7 p.m.

33. Your 23, April 3, 3 p.m.90 Please express to Mr. Pilet-Golaz the appreciation of this Government for the information given you in respect to Switzerland’s attitude.

Your point 2. In response to a number of requests from countries consulted, the Department is preparing a comprehensive statement to be issued to the states in consultation.91

Your points 4 and 5. This Government has made the suggestion to all states with which the United States has diplomatic relations except those engaged in hostilities at the time the approach was made. The suggestion was submitted to the Italian Government.

Hull
  1. Not printed.↩
  2. In his memoirs, Mr. Hull states with reference to the preparation of the comprehensive memorandum: “But when Hitler invaded Scandinavia in April and the Low Countries and France in May, further action along these lines became impracticable”; The Memoirs of Cordell Hull, vol. ii (The Macmillan Co., New York, 1948), p. 1628.↩