711.94114 Mail/10: Telegram
The Minister in Switzerland (Harrison) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 27—8:43 p.m.]
5303. Am[erican] interests Japan, POW correspondence. Legation’s 2849, June 20, 1942.80 Legation Tokyo telegraphs August 21 Japanese Government, while maintaining principles previously communicated, has decided following measures facilitate transmission correspondence.
- A.
- Letters sent POWs Japanese hands or civilian internees outside Japan proper and in Japanese territories overseas must contain less than 25 words either typewritten or written clearly capital letters.
- B.
- Letters sent POWs or civilian internees whose names transmitted interested governments by lists from Japanese Foreign Office or POW Information Bureau should be addressed without fail by senders to addressees’ camp.
- C.
- Letters not fulfilling conditions under A and sent after receipt present communication will not be forwarded; letters not fulfilling conditions under B will only be transmitted during such time considered necessary that names addressees communicated by Japanese authorities reach interested persons; Japanese authorities will not undertake forward letters sent after this time which do not fulfill conditions under B.
In communicating these rules to Swiss Legation, Japanese Foreign Office added correspondence addressed POWs must only contain personal or family news excluding all information or opinions military, political nature. Often occurs correspondence relates military, political [Page 1002] matters. In March 1942 Intercroixrouge called attention interested governments this fact in order senders be informed regulations in force; Japanese Government requested March 1943 interested governments contents correspondence be simplified so forwardable more rapidly, however, no improvement obtained and recently correspondence very lengthy, contains increasingly frequent military, political information, abuse, causes great difficulties Japanese authorities especially censorship; Japanese Government therefore obliged take above measures in order transmit correspondence which conforms regulations to addressees rapidly as possible and thus expedite mail for POWs, civilian internees.
- Not printed.↩