BAS                                          London
this telegram must be
closely paraphrased be                     Dated December 27 1941
for being communicated
to anyone. (B)                               Rec'd 2 a.m.; 28th
 
Secretary of State,
 
          Washington.
 
          6234, December 27, 7 a.m. (SECTION EIGHT)
 
          (3) Alien's policy. The initial policy (in 
 
which the EXECUTIVE had no part) was to impose on 
 
enemy aliens restrictions graduated accoding to 
 
their estimated potential danger.  In the period of 
 
extreme emergency, however, after Dunkirk with 
 
invasion an immediate possibility, the Executive 
 
advised a policy of general internment always 
 
with the intention that the internees should be 
 
sifted on their individual merits in accordance 
 
with principles yet to be devised.  These
 
principles were worked out in consultation with 
 
the executive and became the "categories of
 
release" under which the great majority of the 
 
internees were released, some unconditionally,
 
some subject to restrictions.  As the danger 
 
has become less immediate, it has been possible 
 
to adopt a more liberal policy based on principles 
 
carefully worked out in the light of accumulated
 
                                     intelligence.