Office of the Historian

Roosevelt Papers: Telegram

President Roosevelt to Prime Minister Churchill 1

secret
priority
[Washington,] July 30, 1943.

From the President to the Former Naval Person secret and personal Number 334.

There are some contentious people here who are getting ready to make a row if we seem to recognize the House of Savoy or Badoglio. They are the same element which made such a fuss over North Africa.

I told the press today2 that we have to treat with any person or persons in Italy who can best give us first disarmament and second assurance against chaos, and I think also that you and I after an armistice comes could say something about self determination in Italy at the proper time.

Roosevelt
  1. Sent to the United States Naval Attaché London, via Navy channels.↩
  2. See Rosenman, pp. 344–345.↩