Letter of Recommendation

Letter of Recommendation

From: John J. McCloy, Assistant Secretary of War

To: Henry L. Stimson, Secretary of War November 9, 1944

November 9, 1944

Dear Mr. Stimson,

This is in lieu of the repeated petitions and requests made to the United States Department of War regarding the bombing of the Auschwitz railway lines. As Assistant Secretary of War, I would not recommend you to approve of the bombings.

The Vrba-Wetzler report presented by McClelland to the War Refugee Board earlier in July of this year documented details of the killing process; including maps, as well as the existing number of gas chambers in the Auschwitz-II camp. It also made an urgent request to the Board to bomb the camps in order to stop the exterminations. There has been considerable pressure on the Allied forces, as [we] are being expected to intervene. However, the request is not unanimous, as part of the Jewish community is hesitant of the proposed military plan being requested by the other group. They had remained hesitant of the validity of the information being provided regarding the existence of the camps in Poland and the reality of Jews being massacred in such large numbers. They were also concerned regarding the safety of the Jewish prisoners that would be killed in this gassing process. A formal request had also been made to the British Prime Minister Mr. Churchill, which had been approved of verbally, but had not been taken seriously. The British Armed Forces should also take initiative, as they can have a (more) accurate idea regarding the location of the Polish extermination camps.

Although such requests have been made repeatedly by the Jews, and there [now] exists considerable evidence to validate the mass killings happening inside the Auschwitz camps, we should consider the possible consequences of proceeding with the suggestions being made. First ...