Office of the Historian

702.0065/8–1044

Mr. Robert D. Murphy, Political Adviser, Allied Force Headquarters, to the Secretary of State

No. 669
August 10, 1944.
[Received August 19.]

Sir: I have the honor to enclose for the Department’s information a letter addressed to the Chief of Staff, AFHQ, by the Assistant Chief of Staff, G–5,75 proposing a new and more convenient procedure for obtaining permission from the appropriate military authorities for the opening of United Nations consulates in liberated Italy.

The British Resident Minister and I have concurred in the recommendation and the Department will be informed if the new procedure is adopted.

Respectfully yours,

Robert D. Murphy
[Enclosure]

The Assistant Chief of Staff, G–5, Allied Force Headquarters (Spofford) to the Chief of Staff (Gammell)

6 August, 1944.

Subject: Procedure on Opening Consulates

To: Chief of Staff

I. Discussion

1.
Tam 125 (Tab A)76 conveyed the proposal of the Combined Chiefs of Staff that members of the United Nations be permitted to open consulates [Page 1184] in liberated Italy. The Consul’s authority to act—in lieu of the exequatur which under normal conditions the Italian Government would issue to authorize him to exercise his functions throughout the locality—would if deemed necessary be issued by the Supreme Allied Commander in his capacity as President of the Allied Control Commission.
2.
AFHQ’s reply (Mat 136, Tab B)78 agreed to the proposal, but added that in view of the policy of this Headquarters to devolve upon the GO CinC ACMF79—who also acts as the representative of the President of the ACC—responsibility for Civil Affairs in Italy, it was the intention of this Headquarters to refer all requests to open consulates to him for consideration and action.
3.
Thereupon the staff procedure adopted was for one or other of the Political Advisers80 to advise G–5 Section that the Foreign Office/State Department had been approached by a designated government with a request that it be permitted to open a consulate at a given city in Liberated Italy. Did the Supreme Allied Commander81 consent? Thereupon G–5 would cable ACC, which would respond, affirmatively. A staff study would then be permitted and circulated for the concurrence of all interested parties at AFHQ. When the staff study was approved, the Supreme Allied Commander’s assent was communicated to the Political Adviser who was taking the initiative in the matter, to be conveyed to the Government concerned.
4.
In the six months which have passed since Mat 136 was sent, the opening of consulates has become such a common occurrence that the foregoing procedure has come to seem needlessly cumbersome. It now appears that there is, in principle, no reason why the governments among the United Nations should not establish consulates in such cities in liberated Italy as are most convenient for attending to their respective interests.

II. Action Recommended.

It is accordingly proposed that the following abbreviated procedure be approved. Let the Political Adviser to whom the request is brought consult the other Political Adviser, G–282 and G–5, and upon receiving these concurrences the Political Adviser would be authorized to reply that the request was approved. G–5 Section would continue normally [Page 1185] to consult the ACC, but this might well be done over the telephone. In the absence of more special circumstance, it is believed that no staff study need be circulated.

III. Concurrences.

British Resident Minister

United States Political Adviser

G–2 CAO83

IS&PS84 (as to all requisite concurrences having been effected).

Charles M. Spofford

Colonel, G.S.C.
  1. Army general staff section dealing with Civil Affairs.↩
  2. Not attached to file copy. For pertinent portion of telegram Tam 125, January 8, 1944, see memorandum of May 6, p. 1170.↩
  3. Not attached to file copy, but see footnote 37, p. 1171.↩
  4. General Officer, Commander in Chief, Allied Central Mediterranean Force. The ACMF was created by Lt. Gen. Sir Noel Mason-MacFarlane in his reorganization of the Allied Control Commission in February 1944. For further details, see C. R. S. Harris, Allied Military Administration of Italy, 1943–1945, pp. 117–120.↩
  5. Samuel Reber of the Department of State, and Harold Caccia of the British Foreign Office.↩
  6. Gen. Sir Henry Maitland Wilson, Supreme Allied Commander, Mediterranean: Theater.↩
  7. Army Intelligence Section.↩
  8. Civil Affairs Office.↩
  9. Inter-Service and Political Secretariat.↩