740.00116 European War 1939/524

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Under Secretary of State (Welles)

Sir Ronald Campbell5 called to see me this morning at his request.

The Minister stated that the British Minister at the Vatican had been authorized to make simultaneous approaches to the Cardinal Secretary of State6 with other representatives of the United Nations, upon the initiative of the Brazilian Ambassador, to urge that the Vatican do what might be possible publicly to condemn the assassination and abuse by Germany of innocent persons in occupied territories. I told the Minister that the American representative, Mr. Tittmann, had already been authorized to the same effect.

S[umner] W[elles]
  1. British Minister in the United States.
  2. Cardinal Luigi Maglione.