Office of the Historian

740.0011 EW (Peace)/7–3147

Memorandum by the Director of the Office of European Affairs (Matthews)1

[Washington,] July 31, 1947.

Subject: Suggested Message from the Secretary to the Italian Government to be Transmitted upon the Authorization by the Italian Constituent Assembly of Italian Ratification of the Peace Treaty

discussion

Premier De Gasperi is making a determined effort to obtain authorization from the Constituent Assembly for Italian ratification of the Peace Treaty. It is anticipated that a vote, which is expected to be favorable, will be taken in the Assembly today or tomorrow.2

Italian Ambassador Tarchiani has indicated to me that it would be helpful to the Italian Government, as a measure to counteract the unpopularity of the Government’s position in requesting ratification of this treaty, if the Secretary would send a message to the Italian Government as soon as ratification is authorized. De Gasperi’s position would be made easier by such a message, holding out hope for ultimate treaty revision along the lines of the President’s statement at the time of the United States ratification.

recommendation

It is recommended that the attached telegram, instructing the Ambassador at Rome to communicate a message in the foregoing sense from the Secretary to the Italian Foreign Minister for the Prime Minister, be approved for transmission as soon as word is received that the Assembly has authorized ratification.

[Page 558]

attachment

a) Draft telegram to the American Embassy, Rome.3

  1. Addressed to the Secretary and the Under Secretary.↩
  2. In telegram No. 2172, July 31, from Rome, not printed, Ambassador Dunn forwarded a translation of the text of the resolution just passed by the Constituent Assembly: “Tonight the Government of the Republic is authorized to ratify the treaty of peace signed at Paris February 10, 1947, between the Allied powers and their associates and Italy. The ratification of Italy is conditional upon that of all the powers mentioned in Article 90 [i.e., the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, and France] of the treaty of peace above mentioned.” (740.0011 EW (Peace)/7–3147)↩
  3. The telegram, which was sent as No. 1287, July 31, forwarded the text of the message of Secretary Marshall to the Italian Foreign Minister, Count Sforza. For this text, released to the press in Washington on August 2, see Department of State Bulletin, August 10, 1947, p. 298.↩