§ 1. Buildings.
- (a) No building listed in the sections "Works of Art" in the "Zone Hand-Books" of Italy issued by the Political Warfare Executive to all Allied Military Government officers will be used for military purposes without the explicit permission of the Allied Commander-in-Chief or of the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, 15th Army Group in each individual case.
- (b) Commanders concerned are authorised, as a further measure of security, to close and put out of bounds for troops any of the buildings listed in AMG "Zone Hand-Book" that they deem necessary.
§ Notices to that effect will be affixed to the buildings, and guards provided to enforce them if necessary.
§ (c) Allied Military Government officers are prepared to furnish commanders with a list of historical buildings other than those listed in the AMG "Zone Hand-Book." These buildings are of secondary importance and may be used for military purposes when deemed necessary. Commanders are reminded that buildings containing art collections, scientific objects, or those which when used would offend the religious susceptibilities of the people, should not be occupied when alternative accommodations are available.
§ 2. Looting, Wanton Damage and Sacrilege.
§ The prevention of looting, wanton damage and sacrilege of buildings is a command responsibility. The seriousness of such an offence will be explained to all Allied personnel.
1116§ SUBJECT: Historical Monuments.
§ To: All Commanders.
§ To-day we are fighting in a country which has contributed a great deal to our cultural inheritance, a country rich in monuments which by their creation helped and now in their old age illustrate the growth of the civilisation which is ours. We are bound to respect those monuments so far as war allows.
§ If we have to choose between destroying a famous building and sacrificing our own men, then our men's lives count infinitely more and the buildings must go. But the choice is not always so clear-cut as that. In many cases the monuments can be spared without any detriment to operational needs. Nothing can stand against the argument of military necessity. That is an accepted principle. But the phrase "military necessity" is sometimes used where it would be more truthful to speak of military convenience or even personal convenience. I do not want it to cloak slackness or indifference.
§ It is a responsibility of higher commanders to determine through A.M.G. officers the locations of historical monuments whether they be immediately ahead of our front lines or in areas occupied by us. This information passed to lower echelons through normal channels places the responsibility on all Commanders of complying with the spirit of this letter.
§ (Sgd.) DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER,
§ General, U.S. Army.
§ Commander-in-Chief.