740.0011 European War 1939/26908

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State

The British Ambassador called at his request and took up the question of the proposed or possible bombardment of Rome by the United Nations, especially Great Britain and the United States. The Ambassador went over the following points raised by the British Government in conversation with Mr. Atherton yesterday;59 that if the following conditions were acceded to and carried out accordingly, Rome would not be bombed:

1.
The King of Italy, the head of the Government, the Government officers, Italian High Command and Military Staff must leave Rome.
2.
All German organizations including, military mission, Naval Liaison Staff, airmen, civilian officials, members of German air transport company (Italuft), German staff at Rome air fields must leave Rome.
3.
Area of Rome for this purpose will have to be defined exactly.
4.
Evacuation will have to be verified by Swiss officials who must be given facilities to see that the undertakings are fully carried out and kept.
5.
A time limit will have to be set for the completion of the evacuation.

The Ambassador offered some comment in support of the British position in this regard.

I thereupon said that this Government has been approaching this matter the other way around, so to speak. Instead of presenting what is really an ultimatum as to the evacuation from Rome of all military agencies, including the King, the German officials and others, this Government feels and has so indicated to the Vatican and others that we do not want to bomb Rome or see it bombed. We have at the same time inquired why Italians and those at the Vatican who do not want Rome bombed are not proceeding to cause objectionable military agencies, properties and interests cleared out from Rome before making pointed and unqualified requests that Rome be not bombed. Attention is then called to the fact that the United Nations are moving along the Mediterranean coast of the African continent from the east and west; and that many of them, like Great Britain, have been and are being bombed to the limit of endurance in the most inhuman, uncivilized and unauthorized manner, and so the United Nations must fight to make certain their supreme purpose to win the war. I said that instead of an ultimatum in effect, this Government prefers to keep alive all of its rights with respect to the possible bombing of Rome and in the meantime from week to week inquire of those opposing such bombing why they are not more fully and more actively paving the way for their objective by causing a removal from Rome of objectionable agencies and interests, as heretofore stated.

  1. See memorandum supra.