740.00115 European War (1939)/7558: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister in Switzerland (Harrison)
2748. Department appreciates the thoughtfulness of Soldati in providing information relayed by your 6769, October 29, 5 p.m. The United States Government had serious reasons for making the 37 exceptions referred to in Department’s 2366. The terms of the exchange as now proposed by this Government would, if the rank of the persons to be exchanged were not considered, present an appearance of disproportionate advantage in favor of the German Government. For your strictly confidential information the Department obtained from a confidential source a very strong indication that the German Government at the end of September, just prior to the receipt of the Department’s last proposal, was on the point of acceding to this Government’s earlier proposal which afforded the Germans far less in the way of an exchange. Each concession on our part has resulted in increased German demands. Consequently the Department believes that even if it were feasible to include in the exchange at this time the 37 individuals referred to it would merely expose itself to further German demands and the exchange would be no nearer than it is today.