ADSS 1.89 Amleto Cicognani, Ap Del USA, to Luigi Maglione, Sec State.
Reference: Report Number
0001/30 (AES 4726/39)
Location and date: Rome,
11.07.1939
Summary statement: Summary
of meeting with Secretary of State, Benjamin Sumner Welles (1892-1961) on the
international situation.
Language: Italian
Text:
I beg to present the
enclosed Note or Memorandum received the day before leaving Washington; and as
it is impossible for me here to add the Protocol number I insert a fictitious
one.
On 29 June I had Mr Sumner
Welles, Under Secretary of State, as my guest for lunch, as I informed you in a
previous report (1). He not only
accepted the invitation, but mentioned it to the President who took this opportunity
to give me the high honour to present to the Holy Father the expression of his
devoted homage and sincere admiration, and at the same time to say again how
deeply he wishes to co-operate with any Government of Power inclined to promote
peace. The President still believes that
any dispute of an economic or territorial nature could and should be settled
buy negotiations. Monsignor Ready,
Secretary General of the National Catholic Welfare Conference (2), was present
at this conversation, which took place only between the three of us, and with
him I wrote the enclosed Note. Mr Welles
added that the President, I his strong wish to work for peace, would be
honoured and pleased to receive suitable suggestions from the Holy See.
APPENDIX
Memorandum of Fr Michael
Ready, Secretary of the NCWC, enclosed with the preceding report.
Washington, 29.06.1939.
Summary Statement:
Conversation between the Apostolic Delegate and the Under Secretary of State
Sumner Welles. The latter expressed
President Roosevelt’s anxieties on the international situation. He has confidence in the Pope’s influence for
the cause of peace. He recalls
Roosevelt’s message of 14.04.1939 and the proposal of a Conference of the Pope. Roosevelt believes also that a conference
could avoid war. The Apostolic Delegate
explains the difficulties of Roosevelt’s message, and those encountered by the
Holy See’s endeavours for peace.
Language: English.
On the occasion of the
luncheon tendered by his Excellency the Apostolic Delegate to the United States
to the Under Secretary of State, Mr Sumner Welles, an opportunity for private
conversation with his Excellency was requested by Mr Welles. Those present at the lunch, besides his
Excellency, the Apostolic Delegate and the Under Secretary of State, Mr Welles,
were the Auditor, Monsignor Vagnozzi, the Secretaries of the Delegation,
Monsignor Binz, Fr Daly, OP, Fr Skehan OP, and Monsignor Ready (3).
On taking leave of the
company, Mr Welles requested a private conversation with his Excellency, the
Apostolic Delegate. Mr Welles also
expressed the wish to have Monsignor Ready present. Accordingly, his Excellency, the Apostolic
Delegate, r Welles and Monsignor Ready went to the Apostolic Delegate’s
apartment.
His Excellency, the
Apostolic Delegate very cordially expressed to Mr Welles the gratitude of the
Holy See for President Roosevelt’s and the Department of State’s [sic] interest
in obtaining a tax exempt status for the Delegation property and for many other
service rendered in favour or the Church by the Department of State, through
the kind representation of Mr Welles. Mr
Welles expressed his great pleasure in the satisfactory conclusion of the tax
exempt matter and assured his Excellency that it was the Department’s and his
own pleasure to be of service at all times.
Mr Welles then spoke of the
present serious preoccupation of the United States Government in the recurring
cries in Europe and the Far East, which threatened the peace of the world. Mr Welles said he spoke to his Excellency at
the request of President Roosevelt and the President was particularly concerned
that all the forces for peace should work co-operatively to gain for society a
much-desired reign of peace amongst all nations. Mr Welles said he expressed the mind of the
President in holding that the Holy Father’s influence amongst the nations was a
principal consideration for believing that a peaceful settlement might be
brought to society in this troubled time.
Mr Welles referred to the
President’s appeal to Hitler and Mussolini, 14 April 1939. In that appeal, the President hoped that
through a conference all matters affecting the friendly relations of nations
could be explored. Mr Welles said that
this government’s first concern was to avert war; that war could be averted
only when nations agreed to settle the economic and territorial disputes which
led to enmity amongst nations. Mr Welles
said the United States Government was prepared to take part in a conference of
nations to adjust the present cause s of world unrest. Such a conference could be successful only if
the nations came to it in good faith and with a sincere desire for peace.
Mr Welles said that the
President believed the same moral law, which kept the peace between
individuals, operated between nations; that a spirit of aggression by an
individual against his neighbour upset the peace of a community. The same thing was true among nations. If a world society was to be constantly
fearful of aggression on the part of certain nations, then there could be no
hope for peace nor for the solution of world and national problems which
pressed heavily upon all governments.
Mr Welles then spoke of
reports he had received about the Holy See’s endeavours for peace in the last
months and said that the action of the Holy See had given great encouragement
to the Government of the United States,
Mr Welles then repeated the earlier declaration that the President
desired to work co-operatively with everyone and every government striving for
peace; that the President believed a conference for the settlement of economic
and territorial claims should be arranged in order to avert war.
His Excellency, the
Apostolic Delegate, replied that the President’s communication of 14 April had
been transmitted to the Holy See, as requested by the President through the
United States Department of State; that the Holy See felt great difficulty in
following up the message of 14 April because the government addressed believed
that they were unfairly singled out from among the nations.
Mr Welles reviewed the
concern of the government to avoid that appearance and at the same time not
accuse inferentially a number of nations that had not disturbed the peace of
the world by aggressive acts.
His Excellency spoke of
continuing difficulties the Holy See encountered in pursuing representations
for peace but assured the Under Secretary that the President’s desires as
expressed on the present occasion would be reported to the Cardinal Secretary
of State and brought to the attention of His Holiness.
His Excellency spoke of the
affection of His Holiness for the President and the people of the United States
and of the Holy Father’s desire to work for peace among all nations.
Mr Welles thanked his
Excellency and after an exchange of cordial farewells the interview closed.
Notes:
(1) This report has not been
found in ASV. Benjamin Sumner Welles
(1892-1962), Under Secretary of State 1937-43.
(2) Michael Ready
(1893-1957), Secretary NCWC 1931-44.
(3) Egidio Vagnozzi
(1906-1980), the Secretaries of the Delegation and later Apostolic Delegate to
the United States 1958-68; Leo Binz (1900-1979), Fr Daly, OP (??), Fr Philip Skehan
OP (1901-after 1965).
Posts
