740.00116 E.W./10–1744: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the American Representative on the Advisory Council for Italy (Kirk)
307. In considering recommendations to be made on basis your Caserta 700, October 10, and Rome 537, October 17, regarding atrocities Northern Italy, ACI should endeavor to develop concrete facts in particular cases to serve as basis for statement by the governments should such a statement be recommended.
While this Government is of course desirous of doing everything within its power to prevent such atrocities and to punish the perpetrators, it must be borne in mind that repeated pronouncements may lose their force unless they are supported by evidence of fresh acts calling for fresh warnings.
You should also have in mind the fact that when the French Committee of National Liberation requested in June and August last that a declaration be issued regarding atrocities against the French, the Department instructed Algiers in its 2554 [2555] of September 2 to state that the position of the Allied Governments, including the Moscow declaration, had been explicitly stated and widely and repeatedly published; also that that position would continue to be referred to in [Page 1257] propaganda and otherwise as opportunity offered; and that in the judgment of this Government the issuance of a new declaration regarding German war crimes would not be profitable at that time and might well be inadvisable.
If a declaration should now be issued with respect to Italy it would probably be necessary to include France. The Department in considering whether it should recommend such a declaration would need to be supported to the fullest extent possible by facts both with respect to Northern Italy and France, which could if necessary be made available to the press. Memorandum referred to in your Caserta 700 of October 10 has not yet been received in Department.
The foregoing is merely for your guidance in consideration of the question by the ACI.