ADSS 10.241 Harold Tittmann to Luigi Maglione - Hungarian Jews

Between 1940 and 1946 Harold Tittmann (1893-1981) was assistant to Myron Taylor, President Roosevelt's personal representative to the Holy See.  While Taylor was more often than not absent from Rome, Tittmann remained in the Vatican throughout the war years.  His account of that time, Inside the Vatican of Pius XII is a valuable insight into life "on the inside."  

Harold Tittmann and Pius XII

ADSS 10.241 Chargé d’affaires Harold Tittmann to Cardinal Maglione

Reference: AES 3980/44

Location and date: Vatican, 24.06.1944

Summary statement: The War Refugee Board reports on the imminent massacre of the Jews of Hungary and requests papal intervention.

Language: English

Text:

I have been instructed by my Government in a telegram dated June 13,1944 to deliver the following message to Your Eminence form the War Refugee Board, Washington.

“We know His Holiness has been sorely grieved by the wave of hate which has engulfed Europe and the consequent mass enslavement, persecution and slaughter of helpless man [sic] women and children. His Holiness, we also know, has laboured unceasingly to reinculcate a decent regard for the dignity of man activated by great compassion for the sufferings of a large portion of mankind.  The tireless efforts of His Holiness to alleviate the lot of the persecuted, the hunted and the outcast are also know to us.  We are certain His Holiness is aware of the deep feeling of abhorrence around in the American people by the mass deportations, persecutions, enslavement and slaughter in the Balkans, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Norway, Poland and elsewhere.  We are confident that His Holiness is also aware of the deep concern of the Government of the United States relative to these reversions to usages of ancient barbarism and of the constant effort to prevent their recurrence which it has made.

We believe it is appropriate, because of the common concern of the Holy See and the government and people of the United States with such matters, to call to the Holy See’s attention the apparently authentic reports that the present authorities in Hungary have undertaken to persecute the 800,000 Jews in Hungary and are planning their mass slaughter both in Hungary and after deportation to Poland merely because they are Jews.  The authorities and people of Hungary have been warned by the government of the United States of the material consequences that the perpetration of such inhuman acts of barbarism will entail.  It is both timely and fitting we believe that the moral values involved and the spiritual consequences that must flow from indulgence in the persecutions and mass murder of helpless men, women and children be brought to the attention of the Hungarian authorities and people.  We earnestly hope, therefore, that His Holiness may find it appropriate to express Himself on this subject to the authorities and people of Hungary, great numbers of whom profess spiritual adherence to the holy See personally by radio through the Nuncio and clergy in Hungary as well as through a representative of the Holy See who might for that purpose be specially dispatched to Hungary”. (1)

Note of Domenico Tardini:

25.06.1944.  Seen by the Holy Father.

Notes:

(1) See FRUS 1944, I, pp 1068-69.

ADSS 10.223 Notes of the Secretariat of State on the Jews of Hungary

Rome was liberated by the Allies on 6 June 1944.

Killing of Hungarian Jews continued without interruption at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

No trains left for Auschwitz from Hungary on 7 June 1944.

ADSS 10.223 Notes of the Secretariat of State

Reference: AES St Eccl. 575

Location and date: Vatican 07.06.1944

Summary statement: Efforts of the Sec State for the Jews of Hungary.

Language: Italian

Text:

The Secretariat of State has received the memorandum (1) of the Charge d’Affaires of the United States of America delivered to the Holy See on 01.06.1944.  The Secretariat is grateful that he has brought this to their attention, and has the honour to make known to his what the Holy See is doing in favour of the Jews of Hungary.

Since the publication of the racial laws in June 1941, the Secretariat of State has given the necessary instruction to the Apostolic Nuncio in Budapest so that he might make known to the Hungarian government the regret of the Holy See on their content. (2) Some action was also taken by his eminence Cardinal Seredi, Primate of Hungary, in the name of all the Catholic bishops, an in the following July made formal public protest in the Upper House. (3) Nonetheless, the laws, which despite being against the wishes of the bishops, were voted through subject to some slight modification.

On 10 August, the Secretariat of State sent a Diplomatic Note to the Hungarian Government (4) in which the Holy See expressed its concerns concerning the Catholic doctrine of marriage and expressing the hope that the Hungarian Government introduce into the Regulations, relative to the matter in question, mitigations that would satisfy the exercise of Catholic consciences.

In the following November, the Holy See learned (5) that the application of the racial laws, several thousand Jews, among them many baptised, had been forced to abandon Hungary and be transferred to south Ukraine, impoverished and devastated by the war.  The Cardinal Primate as immediately concerned to intervene in favour of the expelled. (6) His eminence was able to obtain assurances that the expulsion was limited to Jews of non-Hungarian origin, and had other assurances concerning the more human treatment of those who were expelled.

During the years 1942-1943 (7), the Apostolic Nuncio and his eminence the Primate, had occasion to intervene with the government authorities, since the subordinate authorities responsible for the enforcement of the racial laws, not frequently applied them in an oppressive manner.

The solicitude of the Holy See has increased in recent times because of the change in the internal political situation in Hungary and the aggravation of the measures against the Jews.  Since March, the Holy See has given new instructions to its representatives in Hungary and Romania in relation to new penalties against the Jews in these two countries. (8) The Holy See has appealed to the Christian and chivalrous tradition of the Hungarian people, and his eminence, the Cardinal Primate, has presented a memorandum in this regard to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. (9)

The last intervention of the Holy See in chronological order in favour of the Jews of Hungary was on 20 March past, (10) on the occasion of the warning from the Office of the President of the United States, (11) according to which the deportation of the Jews of Hungary in Russia sub-Carpathia would begin.  In this regard the information from the Apostolic Nuncio follows (12): The government has not responded to the Diplomatic Note of 20 March. The deportation began under the label of obligated forced labour.  The Apostolic Nuncio was instructed not to cease to use its good offices in favour of the deported to which will be added those of the Bishops.(13)

Note of Domenico Tardini: 30.06.1944

I have already spoken with T[ittmann]. Then I will tell you some other things (I intend to keep this fact).

Notes:

(1) Without number, (AES 3478/44) from Harold Tittmann (1893-1980), assistant to Myron Taylor, personal representative of President Roosevelt to the Holy See.

(2) See ADSS 8.95, 114.

(3) See ADSS 8.116.

(4) See ADSS 10.128.

(5) Aide-memoire of the Secretariat of State addressed to private persons.

(6) See ADSS 8.194

(7) See ADSS 8.545

(8) See ADSS 10.117

(9) See ADSS 10.172, 179.

(10) See ADSS 10.196 n2

(11) See ADSS 10.196

(12) See ADSS 10.209

(13) See ADSS 10.265.

ADSS 7.53 Maglione notes on meeting with Osborne & Tittmann

As the year wore on and the diplomats inside the Vatican kept trying to elicit a positive response from Cardinal Maglione on the subject of a papal protest, both Osborne and Tittmann remained adamant that the pope should not be distracted by fears of Allied bombing of Italian cities.  Maglione tried equally as hard to elicit a promise of some sort for the protection of Rome and other Italian cities.  At the end, the Cardinal writes as though lamenting, that despite the expressions of Jewish gratitude for all the pope has done, Osborne still insisted the pope speak publicly against the extermination of the Jews.

ADSS 7.53 

Cardinal Maglione, notes

Reference: A.E.S. 6409/42

Location and date: Vatican, 14.12.1942

Summary statement:  Maglione communicates to Osborne that the Italian embassy announced the departure from Rome of the Italian military Supreme Command; he awaits an answer concerning the Germans. Osborne observes that the Pope is too preoccupied about the bombing of Italian cities. The Pope should protest against the massacre of the Jews.

Language: Italian

Text: 

This morning I spoke with the English Minister (1) and, after, the Charge d’affaires of the USA (2) and I said to them: “Yesterday the Italian Ambassador communicated to me orally, but officially, that the Supreme Commander, Mussolini, and Military HQ have left Rome.(3)

 “I then asked Ambassador Guariglia if there are any German military leaders in Rome: if this is the case, I think they should also leave Rome. “Guariglia responded saying he would carry my question and suggestion to the Italian Government”.

I added; “In waiting for a response on this point I also ask you to bring the foregoing to the attention of your Governments”. (4)

The English Minister made the observation that his communications with the government were slow: it would be therefore good to entrust the Apostolic Delegate of London to inform the English Government. (I answered that I proposed to do this).

The English Minister then added that, although the Supreme Commander Mussolini and the General Staff are leaving Rome, the ministries will remain.

I answered that it would be dealt with, in the event, of civil offices, not military.

To Rome, I added, there are no, as far as I know war factories… ”.

“But there are the barracks, the troops…”

“In a city of one and a half million inhabitants it will be necessary to have troops in order to maintain public order!”

“The police are not enough?”

“I do not believe so.”

At this point the Minister delivered the attached letter to me, where it repeats the news that the policy of the English government expressed 19.01.1942 has not changed. (5)

I answered: If its Government had the evil intention to bomb Rome, I would try and find many excuses. But I believe in the good will of the Government of London and hope that it will take into consideration our valid reasons.

The Minister has pointed to the impression that the Holy See worries in a particular manner about Italian cities, when it speaks about bombing, because they are Italian.

I observed: firstly there are the most special reasons for Rome.  I reminded him of these (and I have not failed to repeat that if Rome was bombed, Holy See will protest); secondly, The Holy See has intervened against the bombing of civilian populations of Italian cities, because such bombings have happened.  The Minister must not forget that the Holy Father spoke against the bombing of unarmed populations on other occasions: when the English cities were bombed and all understood that the bombing of the English cities did not indeed escape the severe words of the Holy Father. (6)

The minister recognised the justice of my observation [about the Pope speaking against bombing cities] and then exclaimed:  But why does the Holy See not intervene against the terrible massacres of the Jews?  

I recalled that the Holy Father had already spoken in his messages that the right to life, to a peaceful existence and sharing of the goods of the earth belong to all people of every race and confession.  

And one cannot ignore how much the Holy Father has done to help the poor Jews.  They know this and frequently thank the Holy See. 

The minister insisted on this point:  he would have the Holy See intervene to stop the massacre of the Jews.

Cross References:

(1) Sir Francis D’Arcy Osborne

(2) Harold Tittmann

(3) ADSS 7.52

(4) Tittmann referred the cardinal to the note of the United States government passed by him via the Minister in Bern.  See FRUS 1942.3 p796.

(5) ADSS 5.208 – concerning bombing of Rome

(6) Cf Homily 24.11.1940, ADSS 4.177, 191; Christmas Address 24.12.1941, ADSS 5.172

ADSS 5.468 Tittmann to Maglione: possible papal protest

The last major request for a papal protest against German war crimes came from the United States.  As we have seen there was a general belief among American diplomats that Pius would not do more than what he already done, namely make general statements condemning atrocities but with no particular reference to German crimes.  However there was also a sense that any diplomatic initiative to apply pressure on the pope to "go public" was worth pursuing.   As with all other notes, except the British, there is no mention of Jews as the primary victims of Nazi persecution.    

ADSS 5.468 

Harold Tittmann, USA charge d’affaires to Cardinal Maglione

Reference:  Memorandum with no number; AES 6660/42 (FRUS 1942.3 page 774)

Location and date: Vatican 14.09.1942

Summary statement: Crimes committed by Nazi troops in occupied territories.  Request for a papal condemnation.

Language: English

Text:

In accordance with instruction received from his Government, the Charge d’affaires of the United States to the Holy See has the honour to call the attention of His Eminence the Cardinal Secretary of State to the cruel and inhuman treatment by the Hitler forces of the civil populations in areas occupied by the Germans.  He desires to point out that these incredible horrors have been universally condemned and that this universal condemnation has been reflected in the expressions of all free peoples.

The Charge d’affaires has also been authorised by his Government to point out the helpful effect that a similar condemnation of these atrocities by the Holy Father would have in bringing about some check on the unbridled and uncalled-for-actions of the forces of the Nazi regime.(1)

Cross references: 

(1) A copy of this note was sent to the Department of State in Washington DC by Tittmann in his dispatch number 114 on 15.09.1942.  It was received by the Department on 14.10.1942.

American diplomacy and a papal protest 1942

ADSS is the most important source of information about the Holy See and Pope Pius XII during  World War II.  However, there are other archival sources that help us gain a more global perspective on the pressures applied to the Vatican in order to "encourage" the pope to make a public protest against German war crimes in the territories under its occupation.  

The material found in The Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) helps the historian gain a better understanding of the American attitude towards the papal protest proposal put forward by the Brazilian ambassador, Idelbrando Accioly at the beginning of August 1942.

FRUS 1942 Volume 3 contains the relevant documents.  

1942.3 p772:  3 August 1942.

Leland Harrison (1883-1951), the ambassador to Switzerland (1937-1947) cabled the State Department relaying a dispatch from Harold Tittmann, the US charge d'affaires at the Holy See.  The substance of the report was:

1.  Tittmann had made repeated requests that the pope make a public protest against Nazi atrocities and that failure to do so was damaging the "moral prestige and is undermining faith both in the church and in the Holy Father himself".  The response given is that the pope has "already condemned offenses against morality in wartime and that to be specific now would only make matters worse".

2.  On 2 August the Brazilian ambassador informed Tittmann of the plan for diplomats to send the pope formal requests from their governments to make a public statement condemning German war crimes.

3.  Tittmann expressed his reservation that such a step would probably not change the pope's mind it would still be worthy of support.

1942.3 p773: 4 August 1942.

Cordell Hull (1871-1955), Secretary of State (1933-1944) replied to Harrison's telegram with authorisation to make "an independent but simultaneous approach to the Vatican Foreign Office" along the lines outlined in the previous telegram.

1942.3 p773 18 August 1942.

Benjamin Sumner Welles (1892-1962), Under-Secretary of State (1937-1943) met with Ronald Campbell (1890-1983) from the British Embassy.  Campbell formally informed the United States the the United Kingdom had agreed to deliver a formal request for a papal protest against German atrocities.  Welles told Campbell that Tittmann had already been authorised to do the same thing.

1942.3 p774 14 September 1942.

Tittmann delivered the formal note from the United States government asking the pope to make a public protest against German atrocities.  (The text will follow in the next post.)

1942.3 p774 18 September 1942

Harrison in Bern passed on a dispatch from Tittmann informing the State Department that the formal note from the Untied States government had been delivered.

1942.3.p775 26 September 1942

Myron Taylor, the Personal Representative of President Roosevelt to Pius XII sent a copy of a document received from the Jewish Agency for Palestine that set out in graphic terms the physical destruction of the Jews of Warsaw in particular and the Jews of Europe in general.  This document appears in ADSS 8.493.

1942.3 p776 6 October 1942

Tittmann wrote to Hull with an update on the progress of the diplomatic notes urging the pope to  protest German atrocities noting that the protest proposal appeared to enjoy the support of the Jesuits.  However, while it was believed the pope was giving the notes serious consideration, opinion in the Vatican was divided as to the wisdom of such a move.

ADSS 8.496 Montini's notes on Myron Taylor's meeting with Maglione

Throughout 1942 Giuseppe Burzio in Bratislava, Giuseppe Marcone in Zagreb, Andrea Cassulo in Bucharest and even Cesare Orsenigo in Berlin reported increasing persecution of Jews in Eastern Europe.  What makes this document interesting is the date - October 1942.  President Roosevelt's personal representative to the Holy See, Myron Taylor, had delivered a detailed memorandum (See ADSS 8.493) on the persecution of Jews in Eastern Europe.  And while much of the details were inaccurate, the broad sweep of the document was consistent with most of the reports available to the Vatican.

Maglione's instruction to Montini is significant.  While Rome had received accurate accounts of the persecution from its own diplomats, and had instructed them to do whatever they could to help the Jews, it is curious that the response to the American appeal was strikingly conservative and muted.  Wariness of atrocity propaganda may have also been a reason for such a cautious response.

ADSS 8.496

Reference: AES 7274/42 original

Location and date: Vatican, 01.10.1942

Summary statement: Information on the massacre of the Jews

Language: Italian

Text:

Mr Tittmann came to the Secretary of State asking for any response to the Memorial left by Myron Taylor on the subject of the killing of the Jews. (1)

The contents of the memorial had been telegraphed to him by his government and he was ordered to discuss it with the Holy Father; but it arrived two hours after the third audience [26.09.1942] so there was no chance for him to report on it orally to His Holiness.

Office note:

After audience with His Eminence (Maglione) 06.10.1942

Prepare a short note (3) which says, in essence, that the Holy See has had reports of the harsh treatment of the Jews. It has not yet been able to verify the accuracy of all information received. (4) The Holy See, on the other hand, has not failed to intervene on behalf of the Jews whenever it was able to.

Cross references: 

(1) See ADSS8.493, note 1.

(2) See ADSS 5.488ff

(3) ADSS 8.507

(4) Pirro Scavizzi (see ADSS 8.206n1) wrote on 07.10.1942 a report on the situation in Poland.  “The Jews: the elimination of the Jews through mass murder is almost total without regard even to children, even infants.  Besides this, they are all marked with a white arm band and civilian life is impossible.  The can not go into a market, walk into a store, or get into trams or wheelchairs, see a show, go to a non-Jewish home.  Before being deported or killed, they are condemned to forced labour, even if they are the educated class.  The few remaining Jews are serene, almost proud.  It is said that more than two million Jews were killed … It allows the Poles to seek refuge in the houses of the ghetto, which are depopulated on a daily basis with the systematic massacres of the Jews”.