740.0011 European War 1939/26292
The Secretary of State to President Roosevelt
My Dear Mr. President: In accordance with the request contained in your memorandum of December 1, 1942, 1 enclose a draft letter to. Mr. Myron Taylor49 for your signature in response to his message of” November 30 in which he suggested that you instruct him to let His, Holiness the Pope know, in confidence, that the United States will follow an independent course regarding the bombing of Rome and the civilian population outside of military and munitions centers.
Mr. Taylor refers in his message to consultation on this subject between you and our Military Command. I have not felt myself in a, position to discuss his message in any way with the War Department and I do not know whether you have discussed the question with our Military Command. I invite your particular attention to this draft; reply which expresses my own view that it would be inadvisable for us to adopt an independent course from that of our principal associate in the war. It seems to me that if we disagree with the policy of the British Government in regard to the bombing in Italy, we should communicate with them and endeavor to reach a meeting of minds and a common policy.
Faithfully yours,
- Not printed.↩