840.48 Refugees/4934: Airgram

The Secretary of State to the Minister in Switzerland (Harrison)

A–45. On December 24, 1943 Department received a note from the Polish Embassy29 stating that the Polish Minister at Bern had received information that the Spanish Ambassador in Berlin, acting upon instructions from the Government of Paraguay, intended to annul passports theretofore issued by the Paraguayan Consul in Bern to Polish Jews who were interned by the Germans in special camps for citizens of the Allied Nations. As a result on December 12 German authorities arrived at camps and took up passports of all Allied Governments held by Jews. Department desires that you place matter [Page 992] before Swiss Foreign Office requesting that appropriate Swiss consular officers in Germany make an investigation in the matter. If any American passports have been taken up it is desired that if possible the Swiss consular officers obtain the names of the persons to whom they were issued, the approximate date of issue and make appropriate representations with a view to having passports surrendered to Swiss consular officers for ultimate transmission to the Department.

Hull
  1. Not printed.