Ask the Scholar
Page 1 of 2
I can add historical knowledge about this page.
Page image
OCR
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
WASHINGTON
P
Y
DECLASSIFIED
E. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or (E)
Dept. of State letter, Aug. 9, 1973
By NLT- HC . NARS Date 7.1.75
TOF SECRET
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
Subject: The Vatican Problem
The status of Mr. Taylor at the Vatican is that of personal
representative of the President. While Mr. Taylor has the rank
of Ambassador he is not an Ambassador required to be appointed
and confirmed by the Senate within the meaning of the Constitution,
because his position is temporary in character. This has been the
consistent view of the State Department, and is based on historical
precedents. These precedents include the instance when President
Washington sent Governeur Morris to England and David Humphreys
to Spain and Portugal, the missions of Mr. E. M. House to England
and other European countries during the Presidency of Wilson and
also the mission of Mr. Elihu Root and others to Russia in 1917 under
President Wilson. Mr. Root was given the rank of Ambassador. The
temporary character of the Taylor mission to the Vatican, although
it has continued for a considerable period, is evidenced not only by
public statements of the President but by the source of the funds
made available for the expenses of the mission, namely the
Emergency Fund for the President, available to "provide for
emergencies affecting the national security and defense".
For the reasons above stated the Act of 1867 which provides
that "no money hereby or otherwise appropriated shall be paid
for the support of an American Legation at Rome (the Vatican),
from and after the thirtieth day of June, eighteen hundred and sixty-
seven" does not apply. Mr. Taylor does not hold the office of
Ambassador, and there is no American Legation at the Vatican.
. RECORDS SERVICE
By reason
coverning
Page data
- Page
- 1
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- a54f4329c9904614
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 269702875
- Core
- doc
- Type
- document
DTO data
{
"id": "269702875",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/269702875",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "Memorandum from the State Department to President Harry S. Truman",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/269702875",
"collections": [
"President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
"Subject Files"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750313/750313-08-001.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750313/750313-08-001.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750313/750313-08-001.jpg",
"imageCount": 2,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Context sent to Scholar
Document identity
{
"localId": "269702875",
"label": "Memorandum from the State Department to President Harry S. Truman",
"core": "doc",
"dtoType": "document",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/269702875"
}
Document source metadata
{
"id": "269702875",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/269702875",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "Memorandum from the State Department to President Harry S. Truman",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/269702875",
"collections": [
"President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
"Subject Files"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750313/750313-08-001.jpg",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750313/750313-08-001.jpg",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750313/750313-08-001.jpg",
"imageCount": 2,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Document source extras
{
"url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/269702875",
"naId": 269702875,
"levelOfDescription": "item",
"recordType": "description",
"ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}
Page context
{
"seq": 1,
"pageIndex": 0,
"type": "photo",
"url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602191/750313/750313-08-001.jpg",
"mediaId": "a54f4329c9904614",
"ocrText": "DEPARTMENT OF STATE\nWASHINGTON\nP\nY\nDECLASSIFIED\nE. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or (E)\nDept. of State letter, Aug. 9, 1973\nBy NLT- HC . NARS Date 7.1.75\nTOF SECRET\nMEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT\nSubject: The Vatican Problem\nThe status of Mr. Taylor at the Vatican is that of personal\nrepresentative of the President. While Mr. Taylor has the rank\nof Ambassador he is not an Ambassador required to be appointed\nand confirmed by the Senate within the meaning of the Constitution,\nbecause his position is temporary in character. This has been the\nconsistent view of the State Department, and is based on historical\nprecedents. These precedents include the instance when President\nWashington sent Governeur Morris to England and David Humphreys\nto Spain and Portugal, the missions of Mr. E. M. House to England\nand other European countries during the Presidency of Wilson and\nalso the mission of Mr. Elihu Root and others to Russia in 1917 under\nPresident Wilson. Mr. Root was given the rank of Ambassador. The\ntemporary character of the Taylor mission to the Vatican, although\nit has continued for a considerable period, is evidenced not only by\npublic statements of the President but by the source of the funds\nmade available for the expenses of the mission, namely the\nEmergency Fund for the President, available to \"provide for\nemergencies affecting the national security and defense\".\nFor the reasons above stated the Act of 1867 which provides\nthat \"no money hereby or otherwise appropriated shall be paid\nfor the support of an American Legation at Rome (the Vatican),\nfrom and after the thirtieth day of June, eighteen hundred and sixty-\nseven\" does not apply. Mr. Taylor does not hold the office of\nAmbassador, and there is no American Legation at the Vatican.\n. RECORDS SERVICE\nBy reason\ncoverning"
}