THE PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE              
 
                                                            
 
         PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA          
 
                                                            
 
                  TO HIS HOLINESS THE POPE                  
 
                                                            
 
                     2, Via Boncompagni                     
 
                                                            
 
                 Rome, September 18, 1944.                  
 
                                                            
 
                    Dear Mr. President:                     
 
                                                            
 
 
 Colonel Leopold Amery, Minister for India, with whom I corresponded   
with respect to various matters with which you have been made familiar,   
has been here for the past week visiting the front and I have had two   
conversations with him. Among other things I inquired as to his reaction   
to his conference with Prime Minister Bonomi. His impression coincided   
with that of Prime Minister Churchill, Mr. Atlee, and my own as quoted in   
my memorandum of September 4, 1944. He believes also in the theory that if   
the present cabinet should grow weak in spots, the right procedure would   
be to reinforce it rather than run the risk of having it fall and a new   
one undertaken, as this would destroy the continuity of constructive   
development in this new political situation that should not be subjected   
                    to too many shocks.                     
 
                                                            
 
 
Colonel Armry also had a long talk with the so-called  
head of the Communist Party in Italy and gave me his impression by way of   
a quotation, ti wit: "that while he believes in the principles of better   
social democracy he did not wish to have the so-called Communist Party   
become an aggressive factor to the point of disrupting all the efforts of   
reconstituting a sound government in Italy. He indicated that he did,   
and would continue to put his influence behind the present government   
               hoping that it would succeed".               
 
                                                            
 
 
I explained to Colonel Amery, as I did to Major Atlee,  
the plan for the national relief organization in Italy representing the   
State, the Vatican and the Italian Red Cross, and he agreed in all   
respects with the suggested plan. I am wiring you today that we have   
removed the last tectmical difficulties with A.F.H.Q. and A.C.C., and the   
statute will be completed this evening and publication of it will take   
place in the official governmental bulletin on Tuesday morning. I have   
prepared, and am sending you the text, of a letter which I have written to   
the Prime Minister and to His Holiness the Pope, expressing appreciation   
 cooperation they have given in the formation of this new na
 
                                                            
 
                       The President                        
 
                                                            
 
                      The White House                       
 
                                                            
 
                        Washington.