865.01/1070: Telegram
The Chargé at Algiers (Chapin) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 19—3:24 a.m.]
530. From Reinhardt. MacFarlane reports that day before yesterday he called on the King at the latter’s request in the villa in Ravello where the King and Queen are now living.
During the interview Count Aquarone57 and other members of the King’s personal staff in the ante-chamber told MacFarlane’s personal assistant that the King would ask whether he should abdicate in favor of the Crown Prince since Italy was rapidly splitting into two camps which was a dangerous development and the worst possible for the country; that he would ask whether MacFarlane thought it possible to obtain guarantees that the Crown Prince would not be subjected to the same attacks as had been the King. He would also ask whether there would be any objection to his moving to Naples.
McFarlane reports that, as a matter of fact, the King spoke to him on entirely different lines. He dwelt on the urgency of his getting to Rome at the earliest possible moment, claiming that he would have no difficulty there in having some such responsible politician as Bonomi,58 or Orlando,59 form a new government. He expressed the view that abdication even in favor of the Crown Prince would have a very bad effect on the country and he complained that the Allied censorship and publicity in Bari were unfair and displayed a marked partiality in favor of his opponents.
The King thought that Badoglio was getting very tired and that his filling the ministerial posts in his Cabinet with comparatively unknown men was a great mistake. The King attributed in great part his present difficulties to Count Sforza and said that he had heard stories that the Allies wished him to abdicate in favor of the Crown Prince and to install a government representing the opposition parties of the Bari Congress. He expressed the hope that there was no truth in these rumors and inquired whether MacFarlane thought he should make some personal reply to the Bari pronouncements. To this MacFarlane replied first that the country was, in fact, full of irresponsible rumors, and secondly that the King must decide for himself on the question of issuing any personal reply to the pronouncement of Bari Congress.
In transmitting foregoing MacFarlane states that he received following impressions: [Page 1029]
- 1.
- The King failed to speak on the lines anticipated by his immediate advisers and it seems clear that there is little possibility of his considering question of abdication before Rome is reached except under very strong pressure from the outside.
- 2.
- Apparently the King is either misinformed or at least not fully informed of present political situation. MacFarlane doubts if the message to him from the Executive Junta of the Committee of Liberation has been allowed to reach him.
Chapin