740.0011 European War 1939/26648
The British Ambassador (Halifax) to the Secretary of State
Dear Mr. Secretary: I have now received from the Foreign Office their reactions to the message which you sent to me through Mr. Atherton on Sunday60 on the subject of the bombing of Rome. When sending off this telegram the Foreign Office had not yet received my report of our conversation of yesterday morning.
The Foreign Office do not altogether agree with what they understood to be your feeling that if the Italians, whether or not as a result of German pressure, refused the terms which we propose to them it would then be logically necessary for us to bomb Rome. In their [Page 799] opinion we should, in the case of such refusal, be in exactly the same position that we were in before the Vatican approached us in the matter. That is to say, we should be free to bomb Rome if and when we considered it militarily advisable.
The British Government’s view has all along been that while maintaining our right to bomb Rome at any time we should in fact carefully choose our moment for such action. This, they have always thought if they did it, would probably be when the collapse of Italian resistance seemed imminent. Even then they might undertake it only if it was felt that the effect would be decisive in breaking Italian morale and resistance.
If the Italians themselves refused our terms we should explain the position to the world, laying the blame for any future bombing of Rome squarely on the shoulders of the Fascist Government. If the Italians refused under German pressure, most effective play could be made of the fact that the Germans alone were responsible and to blame for the breakdown of negotiations.
In these circumstances His Majesty’s Government feel that there is much to gain and nothing to lose by putting forward to the Italian authorities the conditions which they had previously suggested.
They suggest that the area of Rome for this purpose should be defined as being within a radius of three miles of the Palazzo Venezia. We should also have to stipulate that this area should not be used as a base or channel of military supplies in connexion with operations.
I pass on to you this expression of the thought of His Majesty’s Government to which you will no doubt give consideration.61 But it is, as I have already said, prior to their receiving my report of our talk yesterday morning, in regard to which you were good enough to promise me a short note for transmission to London.
Believe me [etc.]