740.0011 European War 1939/31288

The Under Secretary of State (Welles) to the Apostolic Delegate at Washington (Cicognani)

My Dear Archbishop Cicognani: I have received this morning your letter of August 752 in which you inform me that you have just received from His Eminence the Cardinal Secretary of State a radiogram urgently requesting a definitive reply to his previous message advising of the decision of the new Italian Government to declare Rome an open city. You add that you will be grateful for anything [Page 941] that I can do to expedite the securing of the desired response so that you may be in a position to report such reply to the Cardinal Secretary of State.

As I informed Your Excellency in my letter of August 4,53 the message under reference was immediately submitted by me to the highest authorities of the Government of the United States. The matter is receiving their fullest consideration.

In the meantime I am instructed by the President to state that, in accordance with the accepted principles of international law and of pertinent international agreements, there is nothing to prevent the Italian Government from undertaking unilaterally to declare Rome an open city.

With the assurances [etc.]

Sumner Welles
  1. Not printed.
  2. Not printed.