665.001/5–1851
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State1
Subject: Italian Defense Effort
| Participants: | The Italian Ambassador |
| The Secretary of State | |
| Mr. Byington, WE |
Ambassador Tarchiani said that he was gratified to inform me that the Italian Government was going steadily ahead in its defense effort within the NATO. He said that despite the political difficulties involved, including the death of the President of the Senate, that body had now voted the 250 billion lire immediate additional contribution towards Italy’s rearmament. The government had been able to get this measure through both houses with an overwhelming vote in favor despite the pre-electoral atmosphere now existent. He added that he thought this firm action by the government would in actual fact help rather than hurt them in the elections. I said that I was very glad to have from the Ambassador this confirmation of the good news and appreciated particularly his remarks concerning the Italian Government’s determination to go ahead with its defense measures. I said that I welcomed this act by the Italian Government as an expression of Italy’s cooperation with the other nations of the North Atlantic Community in their common program for deterring aggression. I referred to the notable recovery made by free democratic Italy since the war and said that Italy today occupies a place of distinction and full equality among the free nations working to establish an enduring peace. Although denied admission into the United Nations by repeated Soviet vetoes, Italy as a member of the NATO is now making a major contribution to the common defense of liberty and the preservation of democratic traditions in a free world. I also referred to the bonds of friendship existing between the American and Italian people which are being constantly strengthened by daily association and cooperation in the effort to maintain peace and guard against aggression. I [Page 612] said that it would give me pleasure to make public this statement to the press as an indication of this Government’s attitude towards Italy.2
Ambassador Tarchiani expressed great appreciation and said that the Italian people and the Italian Government had a tendency to feel that they had an inferior status in the family of free nations. This was caused by the ever present shadow of the Italian Peace Treaty which continued to put Italy in a weak moral position in the eyes of its government and people. He said that what counted more than anything else was their relationship with the United States and any statement which could tend to emphasize Italy’s equality in the family of nations was very helpful indeed. I replied that I would keep his remarks in mind and that the Department would have them under study. The Ambassador said that he realized that the present conversations in Paris with the Soviet Union made it difficult to bring about at this time any juridical consideration of revision of the Peace Treaty. I outlined for him the present status of the conversations and he expressed the opinion that he could find no reason for the Russian attitude other than the possibility that they wished to lose time and felt that this was to their advantage in gaining their objective of world domination.
- Drafted by Byington.↩
- On May 17, Perkins sent a memorandum to the Secretary of State in which he recommended that the Secretary hold a brief conversation with the Italian Ambassador on the next day, Friday, May 18. After the interview, a statement would be released to the press which would express U.S.-Italy solidarity on the eve of the Italian elections. (765.00/5–1751) The text of the Secretary’s press release is printed in Department of State Bulletin, May 28, 1951, p. 845.↩