701.9466A/2: Telegram

The Chargé in Switzerland (Huddle) to the Secretary of State

460. Following from Tittmann.22 No. 20, February 6. The Cardinal Secretary of State23 called me to his office on February 4 to inform me that Japan had decided upon the immediate establishment of a diplomatic mission near the Holy See and that the latter had agreed. He said that the agreement [agrément] for the Chief of Mission had not yet been requested but thought that the request would be made any day now [apparent omission] long considered such a step; that they had apparently decided that this Was the opportune moment; but that decision at this time had been entirely unexpected by the Holy See. Cardinal Maglione added that he wanted me to have this information before it was announced publicly but asked me to keep it to myself as he was not informing other members of the Diplomatic Corps with the exception of the British Minister.

When I heard the news I could not help making a wry face and said that I did not think it would go down well at home. The Cardinal replied that he naturally could understand our reaction but that the Holy See had not been in a position to refuse. He pointed out that there was a Papal Delegate in Tokyo, an Archbishopric and a number of Bishoprics throughout Japan.

When I saw the Cardinal again later I remarked that it was obviously a war move on Japan’s part and that I wondered whether by the same token the Holy See was prepared to see representatives of other countries accredited here, for example the Russians, He laughed and said “At any rate those gentlemen have not asked so far”.

Monsignor Montini24 said that the Japanese request had fallen on the Holy See like a coup de foudre. Nevertheless, he could see how closer diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Japan might prove beneficial to the interests of the Church, since an increasing number of Catholics were coming under the domination of that country. Incidentally, he remarked that Roman Catholic interests in [Page 779] Japan and Japanese-occupied territories were more important than in Russia at the present time. Furthermore, the Church had been attacked in Russia, while in Japan it had been tolerated so far. [Tittmann.]

Huddle
  1. Harold H. Tittmann, Assistant to Myron C. Taylor, President Roosevelt’s Personal Representative to Pope Pius XII. Mr. Tittmann was in charge of affairs while Mr. Taylor was in the United States.
  2. Luigi Maglione.
  3. Giovanni Montini, Papal Under Secretary of State.