Evening star., 1948-02-13
The Memoirs Of CordeAI Hull
American Appeals for ItoIy Not to Enter War
Met Only Increasing Stiffness in MussoIini
CHAPTER XVII.

CHAPTER XVII.
No government ever made q more
sincere effort to keep another gov
ernment from going to war than did
we in the case OF Italy. Five months
of appeal and pressure from us pre-
ceded Mussolini's entrance into the
conflict.
On April 20 Myron Taylor sent me
two cables for the President. In
one he said there was real danger
of Mussolini's joining Hitler or en-
gaging separately in aggression in
new fields. He quoted the Cardinal
Secretary Of State. Maglione, as
urging the President to take action
within two or three days, preferably
Immediately. In the other cable
Taylor quoted the Pope as urging an
immediate message from the Pres
ident to Mussolini. The Pope said
he would make a parallel endeavor
at this time.
Upon receiving these cables I
communicated with the President,
who was at Warm Springs, Ga.
He felt that, through the two ex-
pressions he had already made to
Mussolini, via the italian Ambassa-
dor and Welles, he had said enough.
In reviewing to the President the
cables we had been receiving from
many capitals, it did not seem to us
that action by Mussolini was likely
to occur in a matter of days.
On April rs, however, Taylor
again cabled, saying that he had
once more seen the Pope and Cardi-
nal Maglione, who re-emphasized
their previous suggestions. Taylor
reported the Vatican's belief that a
surprise move by Mussolini was
quite likely, especially since it was
being said that he would need to
move suddenly in order to overcome
such opposition as existed in Italy
against going to war.
President Decides on Appeal.
The President returned to Wash
ington on Sunday, April %. I went
over with him the cables from Tay-
lor and informed him that the Brit
ish and French governments were
also worried that Mussolini would
throw his forces into the war. The
President thereupon decided he
should make an appeal to Mussolini,
this time in the form OF a written
message.
The drafting of the message was
completed that afternoon, April 90,
and went forward by cable to Mus
solini that evening.
The following day Taylor cabled
the President that the Pope had
fulfilled his part of the proposed
parallel action by sending hand
written message to Mussolini direct.
Mussolini received Phillips on May
l to have the Presidents message
read to him. He said that Germany
could not be beaten and that peace
in Europe could not be considered
without recognizing the new ge-
ography" resulting from Hitler's
conquests. AS for Italy. he said her
situation as a prisoner within the
Mediterranean" was intolerable, and
inveighed against Britain's possess
sion of the Suez Canal and Gi-
braltar.
Mussolini was actually more con-
ciliatory orally to Phillips than in
his written reply to the President.
handed in at the White House by
Ambassador Colonna on May 2.
The following day Phillips cabled
me that he had seen Count Ciano,
son-in-law and Foreign
Minister, who told him Britain's de-
cision to withdraw her merchant
marine from the Mediterranean had
come as a surprise to Rome, since
Italy had no intention of going to
war unless the Allies attacked Italy.
Situation Changes Quickly.
Immediately after the invasion Of
the Low Countries began, Phillips
again cabled me on May 10 that he
had seen Ciano, who had just come
from Mussolini. Ciano assured him
that no change had been decided
upon or was contemplated as a re-
suit of the new invasion.
Just four days later, however, the
situation had changed entirely.
Phillips then cabled me Ciano's
statement to him that, whereas
week before he thought chances of
Italy's remaining oufof the war were
$3.50, they were now 80 to 10 in
favor of participation. Ciano said
Mussolini had made up his mind.
There was near CONSERVATION In
London and Paris when they re-
ceived this news. Ambassador Bull
litt cabled me a frantic request that
the President bring more pressure
to bear on Mussolini. Premier Rey-