Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1944, Europe, Volume IV

740.00112 European War 1939/12–244: Telegram

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

Bern, December 2, 1944—9 a.m.
[Received 8:50 p.m.]

7888. I received from M. Pilet-Golaz on evening of November 30 (Department’s 3394 [3997?] November 25⁴²) aide-mémoire same date which replies to that part of note and aide-mémoire delivered by Minister Harris [Harrison] on October 30⁴³ covering transit traffic (see Legation’s despatch 9688 October 31⁴⁴). Copy and translation of Swiss aide-mémoire will be forwarded under cover of despatch⁴⁵ by next courier.

Following is summary of Swiss aide-mémoire:

a. First part of aide-mémoire reviews position taken by Swiss on transit traffic and stresses that Swiss at all times in prohibiting transit of military material went further than their obligations as a neutral. They state that Switzerland within framework of Gotthard Convention involving obligations to Germany and Italy but reserving to Switzerland rights of neutrality and national defense has taken into consideration changes in military situation and imposed appropriate prohibitions and restrictions. Downward in both north-south and south-north transit traffic is reviewed. They state that complete cessation of traffic would mean violation of Gotthard Convention and suggest that such an embargo might be to our own disadvantage in future since it would have to be applied to all belligerents.

b. Swiss reply to specific demands on south-north traffic raised under paragraph of Legation’s aide-mémoire of October 30 is as follows (numerals correspond to Roman numerals of sub-paragraphs under 3 b of aide-mémoire):

1. Swiss maintain that despite German total mobilization not all industrial products are employed exclusively for conduct of military operations and that transit of larger parts of products to which this character could be attributed (machines, minerals, metals, et cetera) is already forbidden or strictly limited. They recall that since August 30 all machines are excluded from transit. Effective December 1, monthly transit from south to north of iron ore, iron steel and products fabricated from these metals is reduced from 7,500 to 5,000 tons. Transit of railway material (Swiss tariff items 733/741) forbidden effective December 1. Nil quota December 1 also placed on Swiss tariff position 609 argil, fluorspar, et cetera and Swiss tariff position 625/626 talc, pumice stone et cetera.

2. Swiss state restrictions they have already imposed to a large extent reduce shipments of foods, textiles et cetera and after pointing out quota of 2,500 tons of rice they state effective December 1 they placed embargo on transit of leather, skins unworked as well as worked and leather products (positions 172–192 of Swiss tariff not including shoes). They state that Italy has at all times shipped across Switzerland fairly large quantities of foodstuffs (12,000 monthly in 1938 of which 9,000 fruits and vegetables) and that foodstuffs still permitted to cross Switzerland in transit are not of volume important enough to place Italian people in want. They state that in absence of evidence that shipments represents requisitions they would not be justified in placing embargoes on transit of fruit and vegetables.

3. Swiss state transit of iron from Germany to Italy declined from 15,897 tons in July to approximately 1,000 tons in October and they observe that this indicates that Germany is no longer in a position to utilize industrial capacity of northern Italy for transformation of iron into finished products. They add that major part of shipments of iron exported from Italy to Germany via Switzerland consists of minerals and unfabricated iron and not finished or semi-finished products.

c. With regard to north–south traffic Swiss state that need for preventing transit of requisitioned merchandise does not exist and that consequently measures similar to those governing south–north traffic would not be justified. They recall that nonetheless they imposed embargo on transit of liquid fuels. They state they are unable to meet our demands on coal which they state is necessary for the urgent needs of civil population particularly in winter. They state monthly average of coal transit in 1938 was 108,000 tons compared with transit in October of 60,000 tons.

d. With regard to demands made in paragraph d of Legation’s aide-mémoire October 30 Swiss state as follows:

1. Increased importance of transit traffic across Germany for commercial exchange with Sweden is recalled.

2. They state everything indicates that volume of transit traffic between Germany Italy via Switzerland in November closely approached pre-war level and that in December it will be less since new restrictions will decrease volume by 4,000 to 5,000 tons.

3. Simplon route has been employed merely to facilitate distribution of traffic in interior of Switzerland and not in order to duplicate or to relieve Gotthard. They state that all transit by Simplon now suspended (see Legation’s 7855 November 30⁴⁶).

4. They state north–south traffic is relatively more important for Germany and northern Italy than for southern Italy and that for this reason it is in practice impossible to impose mathematical formula limiting traffic to proportion of Italy remaining under German occupation.

Huddle

42. Same as telegram 9924 to London, supra.
43. Aide-mémoire not printed, but see first paragraph of telegram 7245, October 31, from Bern, p. 779.
44. Not printed.
45. Despatch 10106, December 5, 1944, not printed.
46. Not printed.