The nightmare was, alas, far from over. Not only were surreptitious deportations carried out by the Eichmann Kommando, but atrocities on Hungarian soil redoubled. Horthy's days were numbered, and his power diminished progressively under German pressure. Rumors of a forthcoming renewal of deportations grew. This time the nuncio adopted a new approach: As dean of the diplomatic corps in Budapest, he mobilized the heads of the four other neutral diplomatic missions for a joint protest. On August 21, Rotta and the envoys from Sweden, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland presented their remonstrances, declaring: "The undersigned representatives of the Neutral Powers accredited in Budapest have learned with a sentiment of painful surprise that the deportations of the Jews of Hungary are to begin again soon. They are also informed — and by absolutely reliable sources — what deportation means in most cases, even if it is disguised under the name of work abroad."
The five diplomats said the deportations were "unjust in their motive — for it is absolutely inadmissible that men should be persecuted and put to death just because of their racial origin — and brutal in their execution." This phraseology, already used by the nuncio, indicates that the joint message was drafted by Rotta too.
With military and political events of great portent rushing to their ultimate conclusion, conditions soon worsened for the Jews in Hungary. On October 15, Horthy, trying to reach an armistice with the Soviets, was arrested by the Germans. Hungary then came under the control of the fanatical anti-Semites of the Arrow Cross movement, with Ferenc Szalasi as Prime Minister. In the face of this new disaster, the Jewish organizations renewed their appeals to the Pope.