~-SF - THE WHITE HOUlE WASHI NGTON J ~nuury 21, 1944. I F.u. ri. ~ ++- •r f'" .-,'=' }i')fl . ·· •rrt~ 'T,,,.lor, ... ~_. l::v~r,·l' ,,."' "'"•1! , ~"•lo '!1~ " · - 1.,.. '-1 • .~.'·~''' · •o !.h• Pr•~••tBn• , ancl•l!\'n , ... ,, ... ,. "Jicr. ,. "'"' '"'~'""",t<?U f'r'Y\ lf"rO ll'1 ~tt h u !'It, , V.t. h·H r t t y , ( ilr'l"''r{ C''J o:••-f H'l ("'A .. 1dC .. , , 11/'1 f"l, \11 r"• Jl'>_,~ fll' fh~ v, ~ ~el.rJ ~ .., ..- ........ p..,....,. ,.~~ ~..,cro ,. t- - +l,.r•f"'lo . '· DEPARTMENT OF STATE WA8HINQTON January 28 , 1944 My dear Mr. Preaident: I In coapliance with your memorandua ot Januarr 21 , li44 I haYe prepared a reply to Mr . Mrron Taylor tor your signature , it you approve. I have likewiae prepared extra copiea ot Mr· Taylor•a letter and Mr. Tittmann•a l etter tor reference to Admiral Leahy, it you consider it appropriate. E:ncloaurea: 1. From Mr. T!Q'lor. 2. From Mr . Tlttmann. 3 . To Mr . Taylor. Tbe President , The White Bouae. .. ~ - / Jf/fU.U'1 31, 1944 0..... •"7J'Gft l '!bank J'C'& t ar )'OUI' l e t t • r or J anwu•J 11. 1 1144 enolcat ~ a letter £1'011 lro - 1ti:Yann a t; Va t!CL"l C1i)' 0\lt.!. :."\& It a Ya t10IU11• 1nt­ p retat!oa ot :he •o;:..en C~ Q 0 atat.oa t - · : :.... a• • 00 1)7 or t r . 1t...ano•• let ~•r • &a lad t.o ... tl\at 'J u are en J ~:y ln ;; a ..11 ~ raat. , w , .......... J', D. R:J.-....• ... .. ':'be lloro rab le ~:rroa • &J1or, ~.. • •r'5ladea \ol!..,b . Pala Mot-0 '"lor1M. - T HE EvERGLADE& C~u• PAt.M B£.AC H F l.O IUDA • ~~~ ?? .. ·1£. '7 -:z e . ""' - t? ,.·_)_ " ~ ~ -.:_ <7"--- ., v A...."' k4 ~~--­ ~ ------ d?. -q 5 .. - ~ __..,-'~ }( f>~­ ~N· - COPY Copy for Admi ral Leahy TBK SVEROLAOKS CLUB PALII BEACH FLORIDA Ja nuary 18 , 1944 Dear Mr. P r ~ a l d ant1 In the enclosed letter Rarold T1ttman haa au~ed up t he aituatlon regardlnc maki ng or Ro~e an "open city"-- I am confi dent you already bave these conaiderati ona ln mind. With ki nd rec arda, Believe me Sincerel y Myron Taylor. To The President White Houae. FO!ti.IGII AMERICAN 0 l&+me S ERVICE Vatican City, November Z<l, 1943. Dear L,yron: You will undoubtedly have read the telegrams I have been sending r egarding the desire of tho Vatican to prevent Rome trom becoming e. battle- field. I under­ stand tbat the >~postolto Dsleg&te in .lashington bne also been instructed to bring the poi nt of view of the Holy ~ee on thi s matter to the attention of the State Department. I gather from my conversation Nith the Ce rdinol ~ec~etary of ~tate that the Vatican regards the idea or an •open city• as a military quest:on only, and is not interested in any way in the various projects ot a political nature that have been advanced recan~ly in the Gerw~n - controlled Rome press, In the eyes or the tloly dee, therefore, "open city" woulc nvpeur ~o menn simply this: 1. I'rovision to avoid oomba ts from teKins pl ace in noma , either through agree~ent brtween t~e belli~orent pa rties or through Allied strategy. This AOul~ ~eao in r ftc ­ tice the withdrawal or the Ger~os trom Rome before the errivol or the llli ee, 2, Provision by the Hllies or pol ice protection for the city during the interval between the withdrawal or ~he Germans end the errivul or tho Allies, 3. The Bo.orable Myron C, Taylor , Department or ~tate , washington. 3 , Provision by tbe Allies or rood supplies tor the popul ation during this interv·•l end thereett.er, I he ve on e number or oooesions pointed out t o tbe Vatican tbat it i s our desirep t o r event destruc­ tion in Rome and that if the city i s destined to sur­ for i t wlll be tbe fAult or tbe Germans only ond not ours. I understand that. t.he Germans on their pert have officially assured tee Holy ~ge that it is eleo t~eir desire to see Rome ~ ared • ... incer~ly your-3, COPT AWI Rl AN PORitON SliRVICB Copy ror Admiral Le ahy Vatican Cit y , Noveaber 24 , l i 43. Dear WJr ODI You will undoubtedly have read the tele~raae I have bean eend ina r egardtna the daelre or the Vatican to prevent Rome t ram becomi ng a battla- rield. I unOer atand t hat the Apoet ollc Delega te i n Waahington baa &l ao bean inat r ucted to bring t he poi nt or vi ew or t he Holy Sea on thia a atter to t he attention or t he State Dapart-nt. I a ather rro. my conver sati on with t he Cardinal Secr etary or State t hat the Vati can re arde the i dea ot an •open ci t y• aa a mili tary ques t i on only, and le not lntereet ed in any ••Y in the varloua project& ot a pol1t1oal natura that have been advanced r ecently i n t he Oerman- oontrolled Rome preaa . I n the eyee or the Bol7 See, ther efor e , " open city• would appe ar to me an aillply thll r 1 . Prov1a1on to avoi d combata trom taklne place in Ro~e , either through aereemant between the belligerent parties or through Allied etrategy. Tbla would mean i n practice the withdrawal or the Oel'lllana trOIB Roae before the arr ival ot the Alliea . a. Pr ovia1on b7 the ~lliaa of poll ee protection t or the city during the inter val between the with­ drawal ot the Oeraana and the arrival ot the All lee, s. Provial on by the All lea or rood auppllea tor the population duri ng thi a lnte~al and t her eafter . I have on a number or ooeaai ona pointed out to t be Vat i can that i t 1a our daal re t o prevent deatruo­ t 1on in Rome and that it the ci ty ie deatlned to eurter lt will be the fault or the Gel'llana on1y and not oura. I undor atand that the Oeraana on their part have otr1- o1ally aaaured t he Boly Sea that lt i a alao t heir desire to aee Roae apared. Sincer el y youra, RA ROLD T I TftA lflf The Honorable Myron c. Taylor, Depar~nt ot St ate , Waehl ngton. - T H E WHI TE HOUSE WASHI N GT O N Fe bruary 21, 1944. KEMOR.UIDUK FOR THE ACTiliG SECJU:.TAR!{ OF f:TATE I have r ead the encloaed ori&inal ! r om tbe Pope, dat ed July 20, 1943 · Do you t hink that t i\U abould 10 t o Senat or Nye? Wha t 1n t ha na8e ot true rel igion do you auppoae t he Senator • anta this tor ? F. D . R. I'P-f' ~.CltZ"l " { ~~~ ,{ 4)/IJII - ,( ft#l- iif.,;..._./'14· &1~41-.3 / / DEPARTMENT OF eTATE WAeHINQTON My dear Mr. Pree1dent: I am enoloe1ng a copy or a letter wh1oh I ba•• received from Senator Nye requesting a oopy or the reply which the Pope aade to your letter or July 10, 19t~ at the tiae or the invasion or 81oily. The Pope'e reply ie dated July 20, l9t~. which you were kind enough to refer to me by memorandum on Auguet ~ for ay i nformation and to aake oopiee for the Department's filee, I returned the original letter to you on September 6, 19~. I ehould be grateful for an expreee1on or your w1ehee 1n replying to Senator Nye. youra , Enoloeurer I Fro• 8en7!~r Nye, February~ 1944. The Prel1dent, !be White Bouee. lltparton tnt of a tate ....., 8E -- ENCLOSURE TO l.etter dr&fled ·· ---- ·--- COPY UNITED STATES SENATE February 4, 1944 Honorable Cordell Hull Department of State Washington, D.O. My dear Mr. Secretary: The New York Times of July 24, 1943 reported t he letter of President Rooeevel t to t he Veo.tican of July 10 , 1943. Can you afford me a copy or a summary of the response which vas afforded to this communication by the Pope? Sincerely yours, /a/ GERALD P. NYE '1.-o-- tii!U"Ch l , l9H . , a... Arstti.... : J ..... , . ... let.... , .........., 1' ........ ca. ....., ..Pial ettMU .. -..., ..,..a.u r ia ne ntlrhe ,..,a.-, .... ,., ••uu .. ca. ....., .... 1110-1 appeal at au lolieeM fOP tiM1P .....- U.... 'I'M AlllH elU'-7 uu.arlUoo U l&aJJ era ..-~ ....... .,.u., at -lU.C ........ 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