Office of the Historian

740.00119 European War 1939/2048: Telegram

The American Representative to the French Committee of National Liberation at Algiers (Wilson) to the Secretary of State

Algiers, December 29, 1943—noon.
[Received December 30—6:06 p.m.]

285. This is in reply to Department’s 103, December 10. We have now received a memorandum from the Commander-in-Chief expressing following views.

  • “1. In general, it may be said that so far as such representation will relieve our forces of any burden it will be looked on with favor by this headquarters. The care of the property of such governments or the property of their nationals the provision of food, shelter and the basic necessities for their citizens found in Italian occupied territory are examples of burdens which now fall on Allied Military Government or Allied Control Commission.
  • 2. It is not deemed advisable to permit a resumption of consular functions in forward areas where Allied Military Government prevails. As soon, however, as the administration of an area has been made a responsibility of the Italian Government, it seems desirable to allow Consuls of United Nations Governments to enter and take up their functions—subject in every case to the specific concurrence of this headquarters and of the Allied Control Commission.
  • 3. Since the Italian Government is still technically in a state of war with the United Nations and under the terms of the armistice is subject to the direction of the Allied Control Commission, it is regarded as inappropriate that the Consuls of Belgium, the Netherlands and Poland act under an exequatur expressed in the form of a license by the Italian Government to exercise their functions. Instead, the Allied Control Commission should in each case call upon the Italian Government, by decree or other appropriate method, simply to announce that . . . . . . . has been appointed by the . . . . . Government to be its Consul at . . . . . and accordingly to direct that his acts in that capacity will throughout Italy be duly noted and respected by all concerned.”
Wilson