ADSS 1.116 Tardini, notes: meetings with ambassadors

ADSS 1.116 Domenico Tardini, notes

Reference: AES 5561/39

Location and date: Vatican, 24.08.1939

Summary statement: Ambassadors and Ministers of France, UK, Italy, Poland and Yugoslavia called.

Language: Italian

Text:

09.45 The French Ambassador calls (1).  He thinks the situation very grave.  Today or tomorrow – according to his opinion – Hitler will attack Poland.  He would like the Pope to censure the aggression against a Catholic country.

10.30 The British Minister calls (2).  He brings a summary of the letter that Chamberlain had set to Hitler yesterday. (3) He tells me that the British Ambassador to the Quirinal was more worried yesterday that today.

11.30 The Secretary of the Italian Embassy calls. (4) He tells me that the Russian-German treaty deprives Italy of the possibility of intervening to stop Hitler.  Hitler is now safe from the East.  He cannot think how war could be avoided.

12.15 The Polish Ambassador calls (5), affirming that Poland has never hoped to be helped by Russia.  Poland will resist violence and fight the aggressor.  He would like the Holy Father to condemn the aggression.

13.00 The Yugoslav Minister calls (6).  He has no news.  He would like to be kept informed.

Notes: 

(1) Francios Charles-Roux (1879-1961) French Ambassador to the Holy See, 1932-40.

(2) D’Arcy Osborne (1884-1964), UK Minister to the Holy See, 1936-47.

(3) ADSS 1.115, n1.

(4) Raimondo Giustiniani (1899-1976), Secretary of the Italian Embassy to the Holy See.

(5) Casimir Papée (1889-1979), Polish Ambassador to the Holy See, 1939-58.

(6) Niko Mirosevic Sorgo (1884-1966), Yugoslav Ambassador to the Holy See, 1937-45.