740.0011 European War 1939/28584: Telegram

The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Matthews) to the Secretary of State

1928. Department’s telegram No. 889, February 9, 8 p.m. and my telegram No. 1861, March 17, noon.10 The Department will be gratified to learn that I just received the following letter from Sir Orme Sargent.11

“In the Secretary of State’s absence I write to thank you for your letter of the 11th February12 on the subject of Italy and to explain the delay in answering it.

In the interval between the receipt of your letter and Mr. Eden’s departure for Washington,13 the whole question of policy towards Italy was brought under review, with particular reference to a request for a directive received from General Eisenhower.14 We came to the conclusion that we could not do better than adopt, as the basis of propaganda policy, the five considerations mentioned at the end of your letter, on the understanding that the fifth could be held in reserve until operational reasons rendered it desirable to make an appeal to the Italian people.

Mr. Eden, who has taken with him a copy of the correspondence, proposes to discuss the question in Washington on the above lines.”

The five considerations referred to are the paragraphs so designated by number in the Department’s telegram under reference.

Matthews
  1. Latter not printed; it reported that a draft of “basic plan of political warfare against Italy” had been received (740.0011 European War 1939/28552).
  2. British Deputy Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
  3. Presumably letter based on telegram No. 889, February 9, 8 p.m., to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom, p. 321.
  4. Mr. Eden arrived in Washington on March 12, 1943.
  5. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Commander in Chief, Allied Expeditionary Force, North Africa.