Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1942, Europe, Volume II

740.0011 EW 1939/20647

Memorandum by President Roosevelt to the Secretary of State and the Under Secretary of State (Welles)²

Washington, December 12, 1941.

I see by tonight’s bulletins that the Government of Slovakia³ has declared the existence of a state of war with the United States.

Also, that the Government of Hungary has done so, or is about to do the same thing.⁴

Other puppet governments may join.

It is my present thought that the United States should pay no attention to any of these declarations of war against us by puppet governments.

F[ranklin] D. R[oosevelt]

2. A memorandum dated December 13, 1941, from Under Secretary of State Welles to the Acting Chief of the Division of European Affairs, Ray Atherton, read as follows: “This memorandum from the President is self-explanatory. I fully and completely agree with the President’s views.”
3. The United States had never recognized the existence of the Government of Slovakia. For the statement of United States policy regarding the nonrecognition of Slovakia, see instruction No. 372, August 28, 1939, to the Chargé in Hungary, Foreign Relations, 1939, vol. i, p. 70.
4. On December 13, 1941, the Hungarian Government declared that a state of war existed with the United States. See telegram No. 710, December 13, 1941, from the Minister in Hungary, ibid., 1941, vol. i, p. 592.