315.3/6–1654: Despatch
The Ambassador in Switzerland (Willis) to the Department of State
1098. Ref: Embtel 1102 to Dept. No. 57 to Geneva of June 12;1 Deptel 1026 of June 13 to Geneva;1 Dept CA 6991 of June 1, 1954.2 Subject: Hearings by Gerety Board in Switzerland.
[Page 393]In a conversation on June 14, 1954 with Minister Micheli, the Head of the Division of International Organizations of the Federal Political Department, I informed him that I had been instructed by my Government (CA 6991, June 1, 1954) to convey to the Political Department information about the proposed hearings of approximately ten American citizens before the Gerety Board in Geneva about July 9, 1954.
Mr. Micheli recalled the previous exchange of views of our two Governments on the subject of the conducting of American investigations in Switzerland. He stated that when the subject had last been discussed by the Counselor of the Swiss Legation in Washington and officials of the Department of State the position of the Swiss Government had still been that it could not give its approval to these hearings or investigations being conducted in Switzerland. Mr. Micheli stated that this continued so because there was a matter of principle involved.
Mr. Micheli continued that the Swiss Government had reservation on the subject of these investigations on two counts. First, there was the danger of establishing a precedent. If other countries attempted to follow the example of the United States and to conduct investigations in Switzerland it was impossible to see where this might lead. Second, such procedure touched Swiss sovereignty. Swiss sovereignty was not involved in quite the same way as if these persons were not employed by the United Nations agencies. Nonetheless, Mr. Micheli pointed out that Switzerland was the host Government and Swiss sovereignty and Swiss relations with the United Nations agencies should not be ignored in this context.
My reply to Mr. Micheli was to the effect that I thought in February there had been a measure of agreement between our two Governments, if not outright approval by the Swiss Government, about letting these hearings take place. Furthermore, I reassured him that these hearings were entirely on a voluntary basis. The persons would be notified and could appear or not as they chose at the Consulate General. I added that there would be no publicity from us about the hearings although the fact that they were being held was not classified information.
Mr. Micheli stated that he would bring the information I had given him to the attention of the Federal Councillor, Mr. Max Petitpierre. He added that this matter had been considered previously by the Federal Council and therefore might require further consideration by it. I replied that I had merely made the information I had given him available to the Swiss Government and that my approach was not made in order to obtain a reply. My Government merely did not wish to proceed with these hearings without the knowledge of the Swiss Government. Mr. Micheli indicated that he understood completely [Page 394] that what I had said had been purely for information but he left the impression that the Swiss misgivings are so great that we might hear more on the subject. He inquired what would happen to an American citizen employed by a United Nations agency abroad who elected not to appear at a hearing, whether he would lose his American passport, his citizenship, whether he would be dismissed from his position, et cetera. I explained that I was not in a position to answer all his questions in detail but that in the case of an American citizen who was a member of the Communist Party or where we had evidence that he was working against the interests of the United States we did not grant him a passport, or if he already had a passport and was abroad we did not renew it when it expired. Mr. Micheli also wished to know how recently the persons we wished to interrogate had been employed by the United Nations agencies and here again I was unable to supply the information he desired. It would be helpful if the Embassy could know whether the procedures now in use make it possible for the United Nations agencies in Geneva to continue to hire Americans before they receive a clearance and who may therefore later be requested to appear before a board, presumably in Switzerland.
There was no doubt from the tenor of Mr. Micheli’s conversation that the holding of these investigations in Switzerland is a cause of concern to the Swiss. Even if nothing more is heard from the Political Department the silence could scarcely be construed as “approval” of these hearings. The most we can hope for from the Swiss Government, provided there is no adverse publicity in connection with the fact that the investigations are conducted in Switzerland, is reluctant forebearance from requesting that these hearings not be held.