Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1944, The British Commonwealth and Europe, Volume III

701.0065/6–844

The Second Secretary of the British Embassy (Middleton) to Mr. J. Wesley Jones of the Division of Southern European Affairs

Ref: 82/18/44

Washington, June 8, 1944.

Dear Jones: May I refer to your letter of June 5th concerning the status of neutral diplomatic representatives in Rome?

The Foreign Office have now suggested the following amendments in the draft instruction to General Wilson which you put up for submission to the Combined Civil Affairs Committee:—

(a) The end of the first sentence to read: “diplomatic representatives in Rome to the Italian Government of neutral countries”.

(b) The middle of the third sentence to read: “with regard to communications (including suspension of bag and cypher facilities and discontinuance of wireless transmissions) and circulation of personnel”.

(c) Penultimate sentence of first paragraph to read “in reply to any protest you may refer to the necessities of military operations and security, quoting the precedent of security measures taken in Egypt if you consider that this helps”.

The first two amendments are merely designed to clarify details. As regards the third amendment, it is felt that the Egyptian precedent⁵² is much more analogous to conditions in Rome than the restrictions now in force in the United Kingdom.

As regards the last paragraph of your draft it is suggested that this should read:—

“It has been established that relations between all foreign governments and the Italian Government be conducted through the Allied Control Commission and it is thought that this should apply to neutral diplomatic missions in Rome after the return of the Italian Government to the Capital insofar as this may be practicable. Your recommendations on this point are requested”.

In the view of the Foreign Office the overriding point is that Rome and other parts of Southern Italy will for some time be under Allied Military Government. So far as is known none of the neutral governments has maintained unbroken diplomatic relations with the Royal Italian Government and the fact that certain neutral governments may have maintained relations with the puppet government set up by the Germans under Mussolini is felt not to be quite the same thing.

If you concur in the above amendments, I suggest we should try to clear the joint draft instruction with the C. C. A. C.⁵³ by informal action through our respective Secretaries as there seems to be some doubt when the Committee will next meet.⁵⁴

Yours sincerely,

G. H. Middleton

52. In a letter from William G. Hayter, First Secretary of the British Embassy, to J. Wesley Jones, dated January 4, 1944, Mr. Hayter stated: “Bag and cypher facilities were withdrawn from all neutral diplomatic missions in Egypt (except the Swiss Legation) when Egypt was in the zone of hostilities, and this precedent might be followed with neutral missions in Rome.” (701.0065/28) See also George Kirk, The Middle East in the War, in the series Survey of International Affairs, 1939–1946 (London, Oxford University Press, 1952), p. 207.
53. Combined Civil Affairs Committee.
54. The draft cablegram printed supra, incorporating the British recommendations, was sent to Gen. John H. Hilldring, Director of the Civil Affairs Division of the War Department, on June 12, 1944. After approval, the cablegram was transmitted to the Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean Theater (Wilson) as telegram Fan 374, June 28, 1944 (not printed).