Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-03-09
American Diplomats
|nterned by Nazis
To Be Freed Soon
Axis Demands as Bosis
For Exchanging Prisoners
ermed 'BlockmuiI
BY HELEN LOMBARD.

The Americans who represented
the United States Government in
unoccupied France and who were
informed at Lourdes by the Vichy
government-and then seized by the
Nazis so that they could be used
as paw1ls in three -cornered game
OF diplomatic exchanges-soon will
be on their way back home.
The wife Of one of the informed
diplomats, Mrs Douglas Macarthur,
daughter of Senate Majority Leader
Barley and niece through mar
rsige to Gen Macarthur, was re-
lieved to hear some weeks ago that
conditions were not as bad at Wies-
baden as they might have been.
The American internees are allowed
so points more food than the strict
daily ration for the average citizen
While the Americans at Wiesbaden
are not being ill-treated. their self
elected hosts are playing veritable
usury game in the negotiations for
their release
Demands Called 'Blackmail."
The Nazis have demanded not
plllN lalC ShCilciiSt Vi willy = ~!
mer Ambassador to Washington,
CASTOR Henry Haye; and his staff,
all the Italians and Germans, both
military and civilian who were cap
tured in North Africa by Gen.
Dwight Eisenhower, but also a va
RED assortment of Nazi and Italian
officials who were shipped to the
United States from Latin America.
The first indication that the
Nazis intended to engage in an ex-'
change blackmail became evident
when they demanded the release of
all Axis citizens interned in North
Africa.
When the State Department
pointed out that enemy aliens found
In North African territory were
legally either prisoners of war or
enemy citizens subject to intern
rnent. the Berlin government trans
ferred the American diplomats from
Lourdes, France, TO Wiesbaden,
Germany. Berlin was then ready
to resume the argument. After
many weeks Of negotiations the
State Department agreed to give
diplomatic status" to the Axis
civilian officials who had been
caught in North Africa, but main
tanned that the officers and enlisted
men found there must be consid-
cred prisoners of war
Berlin agreed to that compromise,
but insisted that the Nazi and Ital-
ian officials who had subsequently
been sent to the United States from
Latin America must be included in
the deal
informed at Staunton.
These people who are now in
termed in Staunton, Va. include dip
lomats, consuls, officials of the
famous German and italian tour
ist' bureaus and number of no.
torious spies and saboteurs. The
activities OF some of these men were
well known to the Army and Navy
intelligence services and to the FBI,
who insisted that they must be
confined in this country for the
duration.
More lengthy conversations went
on between Berlin and Washington
through the good offlces ofa~the-I
Swiss Government. The Nazis finally
scaled down their demands In re-
spect to the Stanton internees and
agreed to compromise on the release
Of those who had legitimate dip
lomatic sta tus.
The final arrangement is expected
to be completed in the near future
and the Nazis through their illegal
act of Selling the American diplo-
mats will have achieved the release
of number of their nationals who
had no reason to be included in nor
NAL diplomatic negotiations.
(Releesed BY the Bel Syndicate. IncO