U.S. CONSULATES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 145, 21 June 1941, Page 7

U.S. CONSULATES

GERMANY AND ITALY Nazi List Of Alleged Offences Justifying Closing Order United Press Association.-—Copyright. Kec. 1 p.m. NEW YORK, June 20. The United States has 103 consular officials in Germany. Italy and captive States. Some have' dual consular and diplomatic status which is not affected by Germany's action in demanding the closing of American consulates by .July 15. Italy maintains 49 consular agencies in the United States, compared with seven American agencies in Italy. A London report, states that according a message from Washington, Germany's action was anticipated by State Department officials. They said the order would cause little inconvenience since trade was at a standstill and few Americans now remain in the Continent. Twenty-five consulates are affected. The Berlin News Agency has issued a list of offences justifying the closing of the consulates. Firstlv, it is stated, the consul at Frankfurt delivered copies of anti-German propaganda and passed on secret military information; secondly, the con-sul-general at Munich made detrimental remarks against the Reich; thirdly, the consul at Cologne carried out espionage against Germany, in code, in collusion with the Belgian consul, reporting the German march I into Belgium. Holland and Luxemburg; fourthly, the consul at Hamburg sketched railways and military installations; fifthly, an employee of the American consulate at Oslo reported German troop movements in Norway; and sixthly, the consul at Paris is accused t>f sheltering a member of the staff of the British consulate there. It is expected in Washington that Italian consulates in the United states will be closed as a result of the Rome decree closing United states consulates in Italy.