702.6265/7–1244: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Consul General at Naples (Brandt)
407. For Murphy. The Department has given careful consideration to your 2363, July 12, 10 a.m., concerning immunity of enemy consulates. It regrets that it cannot concur in General Wilson’s views. Department’s position remains as expressed in its 2120, July 6, 9 p.m.
For your information, it is doubted if the violation of the German Consulates at Naples and Bari by Allied forces made available to us any more useful information than the Germans would obtain by the systematic violation of our consular premises and archives in Germany and German-occupied Europe. Most of the material mentioned in your 2363 is of research interest and appears not to have direct bearing on military campaign. Information of interest to the United Nations, for postwar use, which may be contained in enemy consulates could be secured by appropriate clauses in the armistice after Germany has been defeated.