ADSS
1.253 Joseph Hurley (1), Secretariat of State, notes
Reference: AES 2287/40
Location and date: Vatican,
08.03.1949
Summary statement: Myron Taylor
has met Maglione: discussed antisemitic
movements in the US; nomination of the new Archbishop of Washington; 300 Polish
Jews in Trieste who wish to enter Palestine; organising a meeting with Maglione
and other ambassadors.
Language: Italian
Text:
Summary of conversation
between His Eminence the Cardinal Secretary of State and Ambassador Taylor. (2)
Referring to the
conversation I had on 27 February with His Eminence, the Ambassador says that
it is better to wait for the return of Mr
Welles to Rome before asking the Holy See for a detailed opinion about the
present situation in Europe. (3) After
he had a meeting with Welles, the Ambassador can ask for the opinion of the
Holy See on certain points.
Before the departure of Mr
Taylor from Washington, President Roosevelt gave him a memorandum concerning an
anti-Jewish movement in the towns of Brooklyn, Baltimore and Detroit. The President is informed that Catholics in
those cities support this movement and he is afraid that, as a result,
anti-Catholic feelings may be re-awakened in the nation. His Eminence calls attention to the great
work of the late Pius XI in favour of the Jews; His voice was the only
important voice raised in Europe in their favour. If His Excellency would be good enough to
draw up a note on this point it will be examined, by the Apostolic Delegate.
(4)
Mr Taylor mentions the
activity of Father Coughlan and his violent broadcasts and the misgivings
caused by the excitable “radio priest”. (5)
His Eminence says that he is ready to study the question and to examine
a note on the matter.
The Ambassador then goes on
to say that President Roosevelt has been informed about the possibility of
appointing anew Bishop in Washington. (6)
Although the President does not wish to make any recommendations, he
mentions that His Excellency, Monsignor Shiel, Assistant at Chicago, would be persona grata in Washington circles. (7)
His Eminence says that he does not know anything about this nomination; that
the Sacred Consistorial Congregation is competent in this matter and he could
eventually send a communication to them.
Then His Excellency says he
has received the visit of a group of Polish Jews who are interested in the fate
of 300 Polish-Jewish refugees who are at present in Trieste and would like to
have the permission of the British Government to enter Palestine. In reply to His Eminence’s remark that the
refugee question has been made even more difficult by the war, the Ambassador
replied that in his opinion, the problem only concerns the British Government,
but he wanted to inform the Holy See as well. (8)
Finally His Excellency
expresses the wish to invite His Eminence to lunch or dinner on the day after
Easter. At the same time he would like
to invite all the Ambassadors to the Holy See “to bring them together and make
better cooperation with the Holy See possible”.
Later His Excellency would invite all the Ministers to the Holy
See. His Eminence accepts the
invitation, preferably to dinner, but with some reservations: that it would take
place in a private room, and that Monsignor Hurley, after having been instructed
by His Excellency Monsignor Montini, would return to discuss the details with
His Excellency Ambassador Taylor. His
Eminence also mentions the austerity imposed by the state of war. The date has been fixed for Wednesday morning
27 March.
Notes:
(1) Joseph Hurley
(1894-1967), English speaking staff member of the Secretariat of State
1934-40. Appointed Bishop of St
Augustine, Florida 1940.
(2) Myron Taylor
(1863-1959), Personal Representative of President Roosevelt to the Holy See
with the rank of Ambassador 1940-50.
(3) Benjamin Sumner-Welles
(1892-1962), United States Undersecretary of State 1937-43. See ADSS 1.252n1.
(4) Amleto Cicognani
(1883-1973), Apostolic Delegate to the United States 1933-59.
(5) Charles Coughlin
(1891-1979), Canadian-American Catholic priest (ordained 1916), was a vitriolic
opponent of FDR’s policies. From the
mid-1930s he injected more and more anti-Semitic commentary into his radio
broadcasts. He was forced off the air in September 1940 through a combination
of church and government pressure and banned by the church from publishing in
1942. From then until his retirement in 1966 he was a parish priest in
Michigan.
(6) The Archdiocese of
Washington was established on 22.07.1939 united aeque principaliter (literally “of equal importance”) to the See of
Baltimore. The Archbishop of Baltimore,
Michael Curley (1879-1947) was now Archbishop of Baltimore and Washington.
Washington separated from Baltimore in 1947. See AAS 3.1939, pp668-70.
(7) Bernard Shiel
(1888-1969), Auxillary Bishop Chicago 1928-69, was an enthusiastic supporter of
FDR’s policies.
(8) See Jewish telegraphic
Agency, 21.03.1940. Britain refused to
permit the refugees entry into Palestine on the grounds that since “these Jews
had left a territory which was under German control” they could be “technically
be considered as ‘enemy aliens’”.
Posts
