740.00115A Pacific War/1: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Switzerland (Huddle)
440. American interests—Thailand. Your 468, December 29. Please inform Swiss Government that this Government is greatly disturbed to receive the information that Americans in Thailand have been placed in concentration camp apparently for no other reason than their American nationality. Please request that the Thai Government be informed that the Government of the United States has not conducted any arrests of aliens on the ground of enemy nationality alone and has placed under detention only those specific individuals who are actually under suspicion of subversive activities. The number of such persons in this country is only a small fraction of the enemy aliens living here. It is true that this Government has necessarily imposed restrictions on the freedom of movement of all enemy aliens but it has not acted in a manner generally to prevent enemy aliens not under specific suspicion from engaging in their ordinary daily activities about their homes and their places of work.
In the case of Thai nationals, no restrictions whatsoever have been placed upon them. It is the hope of this Government that the Thai [Page 922] Government will be similarly guided in matters affecting the treatment of American nationals in Thailand.