740.00115 European War 1939/6923: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Switzerland (Harrison)
1609. American interests—Baden Baden group—repatriation. Department has received from Swiss Legation at Washington in charge of German interests a note dated June 23 communicating a proposal in response to Department’s note of April 3 regarding repatriation of United States and German officials. The German Government’s proposal makes new and sweeping demands envisaging the repatriation of thousands of German civilians from the Western Hemisphere having no similar status in return for Tuck and his party and his colleagues who represented other American countries at Vichy. The [Page 101] German Government must know that this Government could not accept such a proposal. The Swiss Legation is being requested to inform the German Government of the unacceptability of its demands.
When the German Government first indicated its desire to broaden the scope of the official exchange the Department made an earnest attempt to reach an agreement by offering a reasonable compromise contained in its reply of April 3. As the German Government instead of accepting that compromise in the light in which it was offered has seen fit to broaden its demands still further to include all manner of persons in greatly disproportionate numbers, it seems that the American group at Baden Baden should be advised of the situation.
Please request the Swiss Foreign Office to inform Tuck of the nature of the latest German communication and of the Department’s reply. Despite its sympathy for the group at Baden Baden the Department is unable to perceive their early release by exchange unless the German Government agrees to accept the reasonable terms already offered by the Department on April 3.