740.00119 EW/8–643: Telegram
The British Foreign Secretary (Eden) to President Roosevelt 1
In the Prime Minister’s absence I am sending you the following further information which has come in from Lisbon since he sent you his telegram No. 405.2 Begins:
Telegram No. 1456.
Informant gave the following military information. The Germans have an armoured division in Calabria and a division (not armoured) lie thought in Puglia. They have an armoured division just outside Rome and one or two battalions (he thought armoured) near the coast north of Rome, where they were expecting us to land. They are in possession of Bolzano and are massing troops round Innsbruck (the Italian Consul there gave figure of 150,000). Two divisions are coming in from Provence. Germans are in control of communications with the Balkans as well as with France, this making it impossible for the Italian forces to be withdrawn.
2. Telegram No. 1457.
According to informant, Farinacci escaped to Germany by air and is at Hitler’s headquarters. Mussolini is in detention somewhere. Place is being kept secret as there, is reason to know that Hitler is hoping to rescue him. Ciano whom informant knows intimately is in a miserable situation. He never wanted the war and did what he would [could?] to prevent it. But having stuck to his post he is tarred with Mussolini’s brush. The German Consul at Turin was beaten up.
3. Telegram 1458.
Informant naturally begged that no public use should be made of his information and that his own name should never be mentioned. He was terrified of coming to the Embassy. His mother is of American origin and he asked that if any communication was made to the United States Government, Mr. Sumner Welles who is godfather to one of his children should be informed he was the bearer of the message and that he is in Lisbon.