125.9543/205: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister in Switzerland (Harrison)
2753. American interests Germany—Baden Baden. In full knowledge of contents of your 5101, August 2044 Department’s communication of September 25 to Swiss Legation Washington deliberately included names of three persons referred to in your 6778 October 2944 [Page 111] without offering the quid pro quo demanded, since in the Department’s opinion the three persons in question who when captured were official employees of this Government stationed at Tunis are entitled to repatriation with the rest of the official group because of their official status. The three persons whose repatriation the Germans attempted to exact as a quid pro quo have no similar status and consequently there is no ground for demanding their repatriation on a reciprocal basis.
For your strictly confidential information the Department believes that Mrs. Graff does not wish to be repatriated and it would be reluctant to see either of the other two persons named repatriated because of possible services which they might render to the enemy.