Memorandum from John J. McCloy to General Eisenhower

898-6158 S-3 - Rosk 5-4-vaa - In term ALLIED FORCE HEADQUARTERS APO 512 M.S. 13 December 1943 MEMORANDUM FOR: General Eisenhower. B I am just in from a trip around Sicily and Italy. I visited Palermo, saw Patton, McSherry and the AMG group there. I talked with the staff people who were running the thing from Headquarters, and one of the Civil Affairs officers who came with me took a trip around through the back areas and saw how it was operating on the ground. Patton was a bit downcast but soldierly. He was not very intelligent the way he handled himself, but Lincoln's remark when they got after Grant comes to mind when I think of Patton - "I can't spare this man - he fights." I hear that the hubbub is dying down in the States. From Palermo I went to Naples and was much impressed by Hume and his group there. Everywhere it was the same story: "Food" There were many problems, some acute, but most could be answered in terms of food. The shipments have not had any continuity and they are short - short to the point where I feel it will complicate your military situation unless they are increased and are made fairly regular. There was evidence of some careless and what seemed to be unnecessary use of great historical or national monuments by troops. Crimes are being committed in the name of military neces- sity that I think could be avoided by some pronouncement from you. If you are fighting a battle, you can't help it if you knock the corner off a Greek temple that stands in the battle- field. With a little more effort and some greater inconvenience you can billet troops elsewhere than in the midst of a scien- tific collection in the Naples University or use the famous Naples Museum which still has many easily removable objects in it for 8. storehouse. We have been running many articles in the States as to the good work the Armies in Italy are doing toward respecting the great monuments of Italy, but I was a bit shocked at the way the thing was operating in Naples itself. When we get to Rome, I suggest a better system should be devised whereby it would not be possible for every combat officer to take the course of least resistance in the name of military necessity in the accommodation of his troops. Could not some expeditious 5928 -1- 2633 394 58th