740.00114 European War 1939/4107
The Apostolic Delegate at Washington ( Cicognani ) to the Under Secretary of State ( Welles )
My Dear Mr. Welles: In further reference to your esteemed communication of June 12th,72 regarding the functioning of the Vatican Information Service in North Africa, I have been directed to express the gratitude of the Holy See and of the Holy Father personally for the concessions made for the establishment of the Vatican Service in that area.
His Holiness is nonetheless reluctant to believe that the plan outlined represents the maximum facilitations that the United States Government can permit, since a fuller development of such humanitarian services would be more conformable to the known charitable attitude of the United States Government and to its repeated manifestations of friendly deference to the desires of the Holy See. A broader development of the Information Service in the North African territory would redound to the moral advantage of the United States itself and would undoubtedly produce a beneficial effect among the thousands of persons who would be assisted and comforted by further facilitations granted to the Holy See in this work.
It is pointed out that up to the present the lists of prisoners of war in American hands have been reaching Europe only after considerable delay, and this retarding of such vital news has increased the anxiety of thousands of families, and has already been detrimental to the prestige of the United States. This delay undoubtedly arises from the fact that the lists are compiled and transmitted only after the arrival of the prisoners in their respective American prison camps. If some method were devised for communication immediately after capture the humanitarian purposes of such service would seem better served.
His Eminence Cardinal Maglione73 has taken due cognizance of the fact that the United States Government, in conformity to Article 77 of the Geneva Convention transmits to the protecting Powers and [Page 959] to the International Red Cross Committee at Geneva, lists of enemy prisoners of war. He is obliged to note that according to Article 78 of the same Convention other organizations and associations are permitted to function, so that the work determined in Article 77 would not seem to be the exclusive prerogative or task of only one or the other of such organizations.
On the other hand the Holy See, in faithful fulfilment of its charitable and religious purposes, feels that it must use its every force to correspond to the innumerable requests that reach it directly from the families of victims of the war. As for the strain on the telegraphic facilities of the United States, you are no doubt aware that Mackay Radio maintains direct contact with Vatican City, and we are prepared to file our messages with the broadcasting station directly, rather than through local telegraphic offices, thus obviating the need for any overland messages which might burden the country’s telegraphic network.
The Holy See has been successful both with the Italian Government and with the Japanese Government in obtaining the lists of American prisoners, and many of these have been sent out from the Vatican by radiogram. I know from the experience of this office that they have brought untold consolation to many families and relatives.
For the effecting of such service the Holy See had to overcome various obstacles and it now fervently hopes that the Government of the United States will reconsider its previously expressed viewpoint and permit the sending of lists of prisoners by radiogram. In this of course the Holy See is prepared to submit all such messages to full requirements of United States censorship.
In communicating the foregoing, I wish to express my gratitude for the kind consideration and attention which you have given to this matter in the past.
With the assurances [etc.]