701.0010/105: Telegram
The Minister in Switzerland (Harrison) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 29—7:16 p.m.]
1802. American interests—Germany. Legation’s 1801, 29th.87 Following from Morris, Bad Nauheim.
“The special division of the Swiss Legation at Bern [Berlin] has just informed me by telephone that the Department has proposed that the exchange ship Drottnmgholm sailing from New York on the 5th May on her first voyage should take 250 German and Italian civilians and leave behind an equal number of members of the diplomatic personnel to be picked up on the second voyage. This is said to be necessary on the ground that there is not on the ship a sufficient number of first class accommodations for all the diplomatic personnel intended to be transported. The Swiss official in charge of the American interests section told me that the German Foreign Office is opposed to this [Page 362] proposal to include civilians on the first trip of the exchange vessel and has stated that should the American Government insist upon giving preference to civilians in place of officials it will have no choice but to delay the departure of a like number of members of the American diplomatic group in the same manner. I understand the Department’s desire to furnish only first class accommodations to official personnel. However, if the German Government and its officials awaiting repatriation are willing to accept whatever the Drottningholm provides I feel they should be allowed to proceed all together without splitting up the group).
As regards the American diplomatic group at Bad Nauheim I can say with the greatest emphasis that accommodation on the ship is of minor importance on behalf of my group. I make the most urgent appeal that the official group on both sides be given first preference in the exchange as was outlined in the Department’s communication transmitted to the German Government by the Swiss Legation at Berlin on January 30th88 which in paragraph 2 said that diplomats should be exchanged first and civilians afterwards.
It is a painful shock and surprise to me that there could be any question of departing from the principle laid down by the Department of exchanging official personnel first. I am sure that you will appreciate what it has meant to the Embassy’s staff to have been held under strict police supervision day and night since the 14th of December last. They are in this position because they loyally stuck to their post and served the Government. In most instances civilians had repeated opportunity to get repatriated. If this proposal to include civilians on the first voyage must be insisted upon for reasons which do not appear clear to me I must request the Department to designate by names the members of the group who are to proceed and those who are to remain. I feel that this is a task which I cannot undertake myself to discriminate among the members of my group in a manner so vitally concerning their fate.
As the date set for our departure from Bad Nauheim for Lisbon according to information supplied by the Swiss Legation is the 10th May a message as to the Department’s decision must reach me before then. If part of the group must remain feel it is my duty and my wish to remain also to give them such further comfort and assistance as may be in my power. Signed Morris.”