865.01/2628: Telegram
The Consul General at Naples (Brandt) to the Secretary of State
[Received 12:45 p.m.]
172. From Kirk. My British colleague and General A. MacFarlane have just informed me they have received messages from Churchill protesting against formation of Bonomi government without approval of Allies; that he is consulting with American and Soviet Governments in the premises and that the Bonomi government cannot be accepted until Allies have agreed. MacFarlane accordingly is now seeking appointments with Lieutenant General Badoglio and Bonomi to inform them that pending result of foregoing consultations induction of new government cannot take place. He will add that if this matter is not settled by tomorrow when new government is expected to take paths of office and delay is questioned by press Bonomi should tell press he has been asked to await official acceptance by Allies of his proposed government before taking office.
In connection with foregoing I made it clear to MacFarlane that during course of negotiations leading up to formation of new government with which he had been good enough to acquaint me promptly, insofar as the unsatisfactory communication with Rome permitted I had received no observation from my Government nor as yet any message relating to position which Churchill seems to have taken and that accordingly he, MacFarlane should make it clear to all that in making statement outlined above to the Italians he was acting so far under instructions from London. The matter of the formation of the new government has not been before Advisory Council as it has not met since inception of negotiations leading thereto and the Soviet representative has been absent since last meeting. Furthermore there was apparently some hesitancy on part of Supreme Allied Commander to involve in this matter other members of the Council such as the Greeks and Yugoslavs and, I might add on this particular point, that when I suggested prior to last meeting of Council that MacFarlane include [Page 1128] in his report on current political developments before the Council a statement regarding imminent fall of Rome with its resulting consequences a decision was apparently reached that for obvious military reasons a discussion of this matter before all members of the Council was inadvisable.
As the Department has received the factual accounts of the formation of the Cabinet as communicated to me by General MacFarlane and has consequently as much information at its disposal as I have I can only say without reference to the nature of the negotiations in Rome of the past few days or attempt to evacuate [evaluate] the probable effectiveness of the government as now composed that an adherence on the part of the United States Government to a decision to discredit it at this late moment what in so far as outward appearances are concerned may be characterized as an attempt on the part of the Italians to form a government under hurried and difficult circumstances might bring us to a pass which could scarcely be reconciled with our established policy. A withdrawal of Churchill’s objection on the other hand would not implicate us and the new government could then be judged on the merits or demerits of its future achievements. [Kirk.]