JR
This telegram must be                        Rome
closely paraphrased be-
fore being communicated                      Dated March 13, 1940
to anyone.  (D)                              
                                        Rec'd 11 a.m.
 
Secretary of State,
 
     Washington.
 
     178, March 13, 2 p.m.
 
     FOR THE PRESIDENT FROM MYRON TAYLOR.
 
     75.  March 12, midnight.
 
     I had a long visit late tonight at the Vatican and under pledges of strictest confidence I
was told the following details of Ribbentrop's interview with the Pope.
     At the beginning of the audience he talked steadily for twenty minutes displaying the
greatest assurance and asserted as indicated in my previous telegram that Germany could win the
war within a year; that the entire German public were behind Hitler and that Germany finds no
seirous difficulty because of the blockade in respect to food and supplies; that it is getting
adequate supplies from the east including Russia, Rumania and other countries; that Germany
already on war rations could with added supplies from the outisde ensure the well-being of its
population on a reduced ration basis now largely in force, that Italy must stand with Germany
because of its