740.0011 European War 1939/34266
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State (Long)
The Spanish Ambassador came in this afternoon at his request and referred again to several conversations he had had with me on the [Page 1300] subject of Rome and in the course of which he had stated that his government would be glad to be of service in making arrangements for the safety of Rome if the United States would advise what it was that the Germans would be required to do in order to render Rome in such a situation to be satisfactory from a military point of view to the United States.
The Ambassador said that he had now heard again from his government. Senator Bridges36 had written a letter to the President in which he had stated that a commission might be set up to make a finding as to the situation of Rome and what was necessary at the present time in order to prevent either belligerent from causing destruction to Rome. He said that the Secretary of State had made some reply to Senator Bridges. Carrying that thought a little farther his own government had instructed him to approach the American Government and to say that if the American Government could accede to the appointment of such a commission the Spanish Government would be very glad to see it done and thought that the work of such a body would be more authoritative and satisfactory if done in connection with the Holy See. So his government had directed him to make the suggestion that such a commission be approved by the United States with the Pope himself as Director of the Commission. It would eventually result in the Pope himself making the findings and certifying to the interested governments the situation in Rome.
The Ambassador further stated that his government had advised him that the Holy See had advised the Spanish Government that the Holy Father would be glad to serve as the Director of such a commission.
The Ambassador further stated that the Irish Minister had had some conversations with Mr. Dunn, acting for the Secretary of State, and that he had been informed of the substance of that conversation. This conversation did not relate to that but was a new proposal the Spanish Government was making.
I thanked the Ambassador for bringing the matter again to our attention and told him that we felt that his government was taking its position from humanitarian motives and with a view to the special nature of the city of Rome. I further stated that I would like the Ambassador to express to his government the thought that the American Government felt very keenly about the special nature of the city of Rome. We had always felt that way. At the time of the last approach the Ambassador made on the general subject we had taken the position that while we appreciated the attitude of his government our answer must be that the Germans knew themselves what they [Page 1301] were doing in the city of Rome which was objectionable from the military point of view as we saw it and that they knew as well as we knew what they would have to cease doing in Rome.
The proposal now made by the Ambassador would receive the serious consideration of the Department of State and at request we would talk with him again as soon as practicable.
- Styles Bridges, Senator from New Hampshire.↩