840.48 Refugees/8–3044: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the United States Political Adviser, Allied Force Headquarters (Murphy)
85. The following for Ackermann is WRB 46.
Please refer to our 431 of August 4, 1944.84 For your information the British have agreed to a joint approach to the Pope to request him to appeal to the German authorities to release refugees deported from Allied Italy, if he has not already done so, and to assure him that Allied authorities will receive and care for all such persons released by the Germans. The text of the cable received from Ambassador Winant is as follows:
“Attention of the War Refugee Board.
This morning discussed with refugee section of the Foreign Office the Papal intervention on behalf of refugees of northern Italy.
Sir Noel Charles’ reply to inquiry as to accommodations was received this morning by the Foreign Office. According to Charles’ report, an additional 5,000 refugees may be accommodated in liberated Italy and use of North African camps was also suggested.
It is the understanding of the Foreign Office that there are far more than 5,000 refugees north of the battle line, but since it believes the military situation is changing so rapidly that the problem of accommodating this 5,000 additional will not arise, it feels that it will be safe to give assurances of accommodation without numerical limitation. The Foreign Office, however, does not know whether or not the Pope has already appealed to German authorities and presuming we will take parallel action, they will take the following steps:
Issue instructions to Charles to ascertain whether or not an appeal has been made by the Pope. Provided he has not, to request him to do so with assurance that the persons rescued will be cared for and received by Allied authorities. Provided he has made an appeal, to suggest that these assurances be repeated by him.
[Page 1141]It is hoped by the Foreign Office that this action will meet with the approval of WRB and that appropriate instructions will be issued to our representative in Rome.”
We have advised the British that the proposal is satisfactory to the Board and the Department and instructions have been cabled to Myron Taylor to join with his British colleague along the lines suggested in the above quoted cable.
- Not printed.↩