865.01/457
The British Embassy to the Department of State
Aide-Mémoire
The question of providing money for Italian Diplomatic Missions is likely to arise in several countries. His Majesty’s Government are trying to ascertain whether the Badoglio Government can still provide funds for their upkeep, but it must be recognised that in the present circumstances they will probably be unable to do so.
- 2.
- It could, of course, be maintained that this was a matter which does not concern His Majesty’s Government or the United States Government, and that if the Italian Government cannot support their missions abroad these must be withdrawn to Italy. There would, however, be advantage in maintaining Italian missions in neutral countries provided that they support the King and the Badoglio Government, since their withdrawal might give an opportunity to the puppet Fascist Government to secure representation in neutral countries. His Majesty’s Government therefore feel that arrangements must be made, if necessary, for their upkeep from Allied funds. No [Page 405] funds should be advanced to missions suspected of supporting Mussolini’s regime.
- 3.
- His Majesty’s Government feel that this responsibility should be shared between His Majesty’s Government and the United States Government on a 50–50 basis. They would naturally wish expenditure to be kept to the minimum, and British and United States representatives in the countries concerned could advise whether the Italian diplomatic or consular staffs there could be reduced by the repatriation of unnecessary personnel to Italy. We should also secure the removal of any Italians suspected of Fascist sympathies.
[
Washington
,] 25
September, 1943.