Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1944, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, The Far East, Volume V

711.94114A/447: Telegram

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

Bern, May 10, 1944.
[Received May 10—2:24 p.m.]

2949. American Interests—Japan. Vladivostok relief supplies, Legation’s 1218, February 29, and 2925, May 9.⁵⁵ Swiss Foreign Office official this morning handed Tait note dated May 9 with annexes. One of these latter gives following text of letter date April 24 [28]⁵⁶ addressed to Swiss Legation, Tokyo, by Japanese Foreign Office in reply to Department’s 2814, December 12, 1942.⁵⁷

“The Japanese Government are prepared to comply with the request of the United States Government to render facilities in regard to the transport of relief goods and letters sent to American prisoners of war and internees via Vladivostok under the following conditions.

1. The Japanese Government will as a rule send a Japanese ship to Vladivostok once a month in order to transport the relief goods and letters sent from the United States by a Soviet ship provided that the United States Government obtain the consent of the Soviet Government to the entry of the Japanese ship into the port of Vladivostok.

2. The quantity to be transported shall be decided and notified by the Japanese Government upon consideration of the capacity of the Japanese ship sent for the purpose.

3. The Governments of the interested countries shall give a safe conduct for the navigation of the Japanese ship to be sent for the transport of the goods and letters.

4. The country sending relief goods shall pay all the dues, rates, taxes and other public charges to be levied at Vladivostok on the Japanese ship sent for the freight of the relief goods from Vladivostok to the port of destination in Japan and the cost of the loadings on and landing of the Japanese ship and the warehousing of the relief goods.

5. In cases where the Japanese Government send relief goods and letters to Japanese subjects held by the United States Government the United States Government shall take the necessary steps for the transport of them to be effected by a route and method similar to those about to be adopted.”

Please instruct whether Department authorizes transmission foregoing text to Intercroix,⁵⁸ Geneva, for its information but not for dissemination.

Harrison

55. Latter not printed.
56. Correction based on telegram 3040, May 12, from Bern (not printed).
57. Reference apparently should be to Department’s telegram 2908, November 24, 1943, Foreign Relations, 1943, vol. iii, p. 824.
58. International Red Cross Committee.