Foreign Relations of the United States, Conferences at Washington and Quebec, 1943

740.00119 EW/8–2143: Telegram

The British Consul General at Tangier (Gascoigne) to the British Foreign Office ¹

most secret

Tangier, August 21, 1943.

Summary of additional points which emerged in my conversation with Signor Berio were:—

(a) Berio’s insistence on the good faith of Badoglio and also of Guariglia.

(b) Berio’s professed hatred of Fascism and the Germans and his cynical desire (though genuinely expressed) that Italy would be able to fight Germany with the Allies.

(c) Berio’s alleged terror of general European Communism. He told me that members of the local German Consulate-General with whom he said that necessarily he was passing his time were all saying that rather than surrender to the Anglo-Saxons they would throw themselves into the arms of Stalin and that Germany and Russia would then form a Communist bloc. The Balkans and France [garble] might also be expected to go the same way.

2. Impressions left upon me after this conversation were that Badoglio² who is of course under the direct orders of Guariglia has received instructions to pump me for information regarding (a) armistice terms and (b) Allies’ plans regarding their action in Italy after capitulation. It seemed from my conversation which lasted 2½ hours that Badoglio wants peace but on his own terms.

3. If there is anything which I could say to Berio to end this impasse between us I should be grateful if I might be informed and I should also be grateful to learn whether the “negative” line I have taken with him as described in my immediately preceding telegram³ is approved and whether owing to the Lisbon negotiations you wish me to continue to contact him on his request. He stressed that he had been sent here by the direct orders of the Marshal at the bidding of my colleague Mario Badoglio but Guariglia’s unfortunate influence is presumably one which is now directly focussed on him.

1. The source text does not indicate whether the text of this message was made available to United States officials at Quebec or in Washington.
2. There is a manuscript interlineation “CG. at Tangier” at this point in the source text, indicating that the Badoglio referred to here was Mario Badoglio, son of Marshal Pietro Badoglio mentioned earlier in the message. It is also possible that “Badoglio” at this point in the message was a garble for “Berio”.
3. Supra.