Office of the Historian

740.00115 E.W./12–2344: Telegram

The Chargé in Switzerland (Huddle) to the Secretary of State

Bern, December 23, 1944.
[Received December 24—10:41 a.m.]

8285. Am Interests Germany. Civilian repatriation. Swiss note December 22 transmits copy German Foreign Office note November 27 of which following is substance material portion:

1.
German Government accepts proposal of United States Government concerning carrying out of exchange of persons bearing Latin American passports against Germans in United States.
2.
For Germany’s part persons mentioned in enclosed list A, all detained at Bergen-Belsen, are foreseen for repatriation. Apart from persons mentioned said list German Government also prepared arrange for exchange of persons who have relatives in United States mentioned in list B which will be delivered later. Swiss Legation Berlin requested in note dated November 9 further particulars regarding relationship of these persons to kin in United States.
3.
German Government expects as counterpart the inclusion of a corresponding number of Germans in North Central and South America willing to be repatriated giving preferable consideration to those persons detained in internment camps insofar as their departure is not accomplished within the framework of the German-American repatriation movement expected to occur before Christmas and Germans receiving financial assistance.
4.
According to investigations made at Bergen-Belsen there are no Colombians detained there. On the other hand, as the German Government for humanitarian reasons stresses the importance that first of all there be arranged the repatriation of those Germans who were transferred from Central and South America to the United States and interned there or who in part are interned under especially bad and unhealthy conditions in Central and South America, it is proposed that German nationals interned in Central and South America be joined for repatriation purposes to the group of internees in the United States and be repatriated at this opportunity.

Huddle