Evening star., 1941-12-12
NeutraIs Will Handle
Affairs Of Embassies
Al War With j. ).
Swiss Asked to Take
Over Nuzi Interests
Here for Duration

Life will 90 on, in limited way, in
the German, Italian and Japanese
Embassies here throughout the war.
The neutral governments handling
their affairs will staTf them with
clerical forces, and the American
Government will provide them with
police protection if it is requested.
International law, fixed by custom
and past usage, is the basis for these
diplomatic dickering is still in pros
pect before the wartime conduct of
the three embassies whose govern
n.ents are at war with us Is finally
set.
The United States has made it
clear to Japan, Germany and Italy
that We will require positive recipro-
cal guarantees Of safety Of American
property and safe conduct for our
diplomats in the three countries
before we agree to final arrange
ments for the embassies and diplo-
mats here.
Swiss to Take Over Duties.
The United States has fine new
embassy buildings in Toxic, Berlin
and Rome. They are more elegant
than the buildings of the German,
Japanese and Italian embassies
here.
The Swiss government has been
asked by Germany to take care of
German interests here, and probably
will agree, although the Swiss Le-
cation in Washington has not yet
received official notification from its
government to take charge.
The Swiss government also has
been asked by Washington to take
charge, through its Toxic Legation,
Of American affairs in Japan. Japan
has yet to assent to this arrange
ment, but the assent Is expected.
Who will take care Of American
interests in Germany and Italy7-
of italian and Japanese interests tn
the United States?
Those questions are yet un-
answered. The affairs are placed IN
the hands Of q neutral, and there
are few neutral nations left in the
world.
Only Three Neutrals.
Switzerland, Sweden and Portugal
are considered the only pure neu-
trails. and Portugal has Far Eastern
territorial interests that may
jeopardize her neutrality during the
course of the Pacific war.
Spain and Bulgaria are considered
acknowledgement associates Of the
Axis rather than neutrals. The
American republics are cooperating
in varying ways with the United
Sta
Protocols and conventions pro-
vide for the care of the physical
and financial well-being Of the ma
tionals of enemy countries in enemy
territory during the war.
The neutral government taking
care of the affairs of the belligerents
here will be concerned principally
with these tasks:
Seeing that the enemy aliens in
concentration camps get the mini
mum of physical care and that their
financial and property holdings are
not jeopardized.
Prisoners Cared For.
Seeing that prisoners of war
brought here are properly treated
under the terms of the Geneva Con-
vention for Prisoners Of War.
These matters involve some cor
respondence and the use of some
funds. 1t is customary for govern
ments to release the frozen funds
of belligerents to the extent that
they are needed to finance the
embassies clerical operations dur
ing the war.
1t is the practice also to seal
the archives within the embassy.
The neutral government taking
care of belligerent's business
usually hires clerks to carry on the
work and retains the American
clerks already on the pay roll Of
the embassies.