ITALIAN CONSULS AND APOSTOLIC DELEGATE

I ITALIAN CONSULS

(1) On the outbreak of war with Germany, the Commonwealth
Government decided that all accredited German Consuls and their
staffs should be permitted to leave Australia by the first
available boat and that other employees, such as clerks and
typists, should be permitted to depart unless some special reason
existed for their detention. At the request of the Swiss Consul
[1], who had taken over German interests in the Commonwealth, the
Government approved of one secretary of the German Consular staff
being allowed to remain for a period of up to six weeks to assist
the Swiss Consul. Following the receipt of further advice from the
United Kingdom, it was decided at a later date that all Consular
employees of German nationality should be permitted to leave
without restraint.

(2) The Commonwealth Government also decided to permit enemy
Consuls and their staffs to withdraw from Australia their private
money, either taking it with them or having it transmitted to any
given address before or after their departure from Australia.

(3) It was also decided that the personal property of Consuls and
their staffs and employees should be treated as privileged and
that the respective owners thereof should be permitted to deal
therewith from time to time provided that appropriate search was
made in each case to ensure that any papers contained therein were
of a personal nature.

(4) Difficulty is being experienced in finalising arrangements in
regard to Italian Consuls, owing to the fact that notification has
not yet been received as to what country will represent Italy in
Australia.

The Italian Government has requested Brazil to do this for the
United Kingdom and Dominions, but in Australia the only consul for
Brazil is Mr. Sheppard, sharebroker, an honorary Consul. In the
meantime, the Italian Consul General [2] has requested the Consul
General for Argentina [3] to act. The latter has cabled his
Government for instruction.

So that there shall be no delay when this question of
representation is settled, the following matters are submitted for
decision (subject in every case to the principle of reciprocity in
the treatment of British Consuls) [4]:-

(i) that all accredited Italian Consuls and Consular staffs of
Italian nationality be given their passports immediately to leave
Australia by the first available boat. A list has been supplied by
the External Affairs Department to the Military Intelligence;

(ii) that other employees of Italian nationality at Consular
offices, a list of whom will be supplied by the External Affairs
Department to the Military Intelligence, also be allowed to depart
if the request is made, unless there is reason for their
detention;

(iii) that if request is made authority be given to allow one or
two Consular representatives to remain in Sydney for a period up
to six weeks to assist the Consul charged with Italian interests,
in the handing over of records and archives;

(iv) that Consuls and staffs who leave Australia receive permits
to withdraw private money from banks and to take it with them or
have it dealt with before or after their departure, in accordance
with their instructions, subject to an appropriate search in each
case to ensure only personal and not Governmental property is
released. (In this connection the Investigation Branch has already
been asked to institute inquiries through the Banks.)
(v) that the personal property of Consuls be regarded as
privileged, so that the respective owners thereof may deal with
the same from time to time provided that appropriate steps for an
adequate search be taken to ensure that only private papers are
taken out of the country therewith. [5]

II APOSTOLIC DELEGATE
(1) In March, 1940, following upon representations from the
Vatican authorities through the United Kingdom Government, the
Commonwealth Government decided that in practice the work of the
Apostolic Delegate should not be subjected to greater control than
was inevitable in time of war and that similar privileges would be
accorded to those already given to the Consular representatives of
foreign Governments in Australia for inward and outward mails and
telegraphs in cypher and code for the duration of the war.

(2) Following the entry of Italy into the war the External Affairs
Officer in London was asked for advice as to the policy being
adopted by the United Kingdom in regard to the status of the
Apostolic Delegate. [6] He replied that an interim decision had
been reached that the Apostolic Delegate's correspondence should
be allowed full censorship privileges, at any rate for the time
being. It was pointed out that this was made easier by the fact
that the Delegate in the United Kingdom was an Englishman. One of
his secretaries, however, is an Italian and this aspect is being
examined.

(3) Dr. Panico, the Apostolic Delegate in Australia, is an Italian
but has no Italian staff.

(4) It is submitted for decision whether the Apostolic Delegate in
Australia should continue to be accorded the privileges already
granted by the Commonwealth Government in March as set out in
paragraph (1) above. [7]