840.48 Refugees/2015: Telegram
The Ambassador in Italy (Phillips) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 12—4:19 p.m.]
549. It is possible that American press representatives here may send a report of the expulsion order recently issued to 3500 German and Polish refugees now in Italy and failing their departure before the end of this month, deportation to Germany. The Rome representative of the committee for refugees in Italy had brought this unhappy situation to my attention and asked for my intervention. Acting purely in my private capacity I made a personal appeal to Mussolini through Ciano with the result that the expulsion order has been withdrawn and the refugees permitted to remain for an unspecified length of time. However, the Foreign Office, for various reasons are particularly anxious that there should be no publicity with regard to the entire matter. I am reporting fully by mail in my despatch No. 1670 of December 11, 1939.88
- Not printed.↩