Embassies and PW escapees

[rmgill]

I am reading a proof copy of Colditz by Henry Chancellor that I found in a used book store the other day. 
 

In one of the early chapters is an account of Peter Allen who managed to be snuck out of the prison in a mattress and then, posing as a Hitler Youth hitchhiked to Vienna, even getting a ride in a kubelwagen from a couple of Gestapo Sturmbannfuhrers who bought his story. 
 

Once in Vienna he went to the US consulate to ask for help and was resoundingly refused any assistance what so ever. 
 

Was this typical, reasonable and if not who was the officious bastard who refused?

[R011]

A neutral diplomatic establishment assisting a belligerent fugitive would cause a major international incident.  When Canada did it in Iran in 1980, the embassy had to close and the staff leave the country before the Iranians could kick them out or take them hostage.  That had to be approved at the highest levels of government.  In 1941, a local consul would not have the authority and Washington would almost certainly say no if asked.

[Ssnake]

Consulates are no embassies. Embassies are technically territorial exclaves of the country that they represent. Consulates have no such protection. A consulate is basically a notary acting on behalf of the country he's representing. There's limited diplomatic immunity, but hosting POWs on the run is definitely beyond their mission scope.

[Mikel2]

During the Depression, many Americans immigrated to the Soviet Union, where they had their passports taken away immediately.  Many attempted to contact the US Embassy trying to return to the States, where the ambassador Joseph E. Davies (of "Mission to Moscow" fame) was exceedingly uninterested in helping them.

[Stuart Galbraith]

If this is the incident I can recall from Pat Reids 'The Colditz Story', the guy concerned had close cropped hair, to help himself look like a Hitler Youth. So It was not entirely unreasonable for the guy heading the consulate to think he might have been a half assed 'stool pigeon' to try and create an international incident.

I still want to kick him in the nuts though.

[sunday]

9 hours ago, Mikel2 said:

During the Depression, many Americans immigrated to the Soviet Union, where they had their passports taken away immediately.  Many attempted to contact the US Embassy trying to return to the States, where the ambassador Joseph E. Davies (of "Mission to Moscow" fame) was exceedingly uninterested in helping them.

Not so long ago, I read a book on that topic: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/293668/the-forsaken-by-tim-tzouliadis/

[rmgill]

I just finished Colditz by Chancellor. 
 

Thoroughly enjoyable. I laughed out loud at some of the exploits. 
 

I had picked it up as a proof copy in a local used bookstore. Apparently the paper back new is $100 on amazon!