Your 53.¹ Brennan saw Director of European Affairs who said American Government would take no responsibility whatever for telling Germans what to do in order to save Rome. Germans knew exactly what steps they should take to show world Rome had been demilitarised and Germans were in fact using Rome Railways for transport of troops and munitions. While taking no responsibility they would not object to anyone setting up neutral commission and any representations of such commission would be taken into consideration.

Could Vatican assure us formally that Germans are not using railways. It might be useless to set up neutral commission unless Americans accept responsibility but perhaps Vatican would suggest now positive course of action which we could urge upon Americans and Germans. Please talk to Vatican urgently. Taoiseach most anxious that all concerned should keep on persuading both sides until success achieved.