124.516/345: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Germany (Morris)
602. The Department has been informed that by circular note, dated November 11, 1940, the German Embassy at Paris warned all foreign diplomatic missions against the despatch of communications beyond France’s frontiers or “demarcation line” through the intermediary of members of missions or any part of their compatriots or by telephone or by telegraph. A further circular has just been sent out by the German Embassy dated February 6 stating that “various incidents having occurred recently the German Embassy has the honor to insist that attention be given to the fact that foreign missions may not send mail to the unoccupied zone except by the official mail service mentioned in the circular of October 19, 1940.” “Members of foreign missions and their nationals who carry mail from occupied territory across the frontiers of France or the ‘demarcation line’ are guilty of a violation of the ordinance of the high army command …70 infractions will result in the immediate loss of the privilege of utilizing the official mail service. In addition, the responsible services will be held accountable for their guilt.”
Should the Embassy be required to make use of the official mail service for communication between its Paris and Vichy Offices it would mean that communications would have to be sent through a special German office in Paris unsealed. It is obvious that this system is inappropriate for the transmission of official mail between offices of this Government. If our officers in Paris are to function efficiently as representatives of this Government it is essential that proper means of communication such as are commonly permitted representatives of foreign governments be maintained and that couriers be permitted to carry official mail to the offices of the American Embassy in Paris.
[Page 513]You should immediately take this matter up with the German Foreign Office urging that appropriate means of communication urgently be permitted, preferably by courier to Vichy. You should emphasize the importance of obtaining an early reply as the present situation is untenable.
For your own information, if the Germans will not permit a courier between Paris and Vichy we might be willing to accept the establishment of a courier service either between Paris and Madrid or between Paris and Berlin.
- Omission indicated in the original telegram.↩