THE PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE             
 
         PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA          
 
                  TO HIS HOLINESS THE POPE                  
 
                   Rome, August 29, 1944                    
 
                    Dear Mr. President:                     
 
                                                            
 
 
Albert Saplding, the American violin virtuoso, whom you undoubtedly know,   
is engaged with one of our propaganda agencies with the Army in Italy and   
Frequently speaks in Italian over the radio.  His activities here of   
          course are, in a general sense, secret.           
 
                                                            
 
 
He recently dined with us and I was quite surprised during the course of   
our conversation to disocer what definite information he seemed to have in   
respect to the political  trend in Italy and I asked him if he would put   
his statements in the form of a memorandum, which he did and brought to me   
yesterday and which I now enclose for your information.  I am sending two   
copies of this statement, one of which you may wish to send to Secretary   
                           Hull.                            
 
                                                            
 
 
In addition to and somewhat at variance with the statement of Albert   
Spalding, I am attaching herewith a Statement of my own recounting an   
interview that I had on August 28 with Marchese Carlo Bassano, Under   
                   Secretary of Justice.                    
 
     With my kind regards and best wishes, believe me,      
 
                      Sincerely yours,                      
 
                           {MCT}                            
 
                       Myron C. Taylor                      
 
                        Enclosures:                         
 
        Two copies of memorandum by Albert Spalding.        
 
 copies of memorandum on interview with Marchese Carlo Bassa
 
                       The President,                       
 
                     The White House,                       
 
                        Washington.