THE PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
 
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
 
TO HIS HOLINESS THE POPE
 
 
April 3, 1945  
 
 
Dear Mr. President:
 
 
                          I am sending herewith two copies of a memorandum   
     presented to me today by an old acquaintance  
                          of mine, Professor Raffaele Bastianelli, foremost  
                          surgeon of Italy, with whom I had a previous and  
                          none too pleasant session at his clinic some years  
                          ago. He is an ardent Italian, was a Senator, has  
                          now been dropped because, though antagonistic to  
                          the warlike aims of the Fascists, he did in the  
                          final vote for the war on Ethiopia go along with his  
                          associates and made the vote unanimous. I suppose  
                          he would have been epurated at that time if he had  
     voted in opposition. He requested an appointment  
                          with the Honorable Harold MacMillan which I arranged.  
 
 
I asked Professor Bastianelli how he thought the changes which he   
contemplates, namely that Bonomi appoint a cabinet from the   
Christian Democrat and Liberal Parties, excluding the other parties from   
the Government, and submit to a civil war which I prophesied as immediately  
following, would benefit the country. He feels that by so doing the   
Communist Radical element will be suppressed in Italian affairs, and that   
the longer time allowed for a solution of Italy s political problems the   
more difficult it will become. He believed this move should be made at   
once and not await the liberation of northern Italy. He expressed great   
concern over Tito being admitted into Flume, claiming that Italians would   
fight to preserve Flume.   
 
 
I asked him if international control of Fiume would not be a reasonable   
solution. He was entirely in favor of that, indicating that if the fleet   
were to steam in and take possession the population would be fully   
cooperative and all Italians would be rendered happy as a consequence.  
 
 
Sincerely yours,  
 
 
 
Myron C. Taylor  
 
 
The President,
 
The White House,
 
Washington.