865.401/9–2851
Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Perkins) to the Secretary of State 1
Subject: Italian Overpopulation.
[Page 719]Discussion:
The disappointment of the Italians with our failure to give them assurances of a satisfying character with regard to their overpopulation problem was quite apparent. Prime Minister De Gasperi stressed very heavily while here the political importance to his government of some overt action on our part to help relieve Italian population pressure.
The assurances that we could give them to the effect that we are prepared to work with other governments toward the establishment of an international organization to stimulate the opportunities for emigration from Italy was in itself a matter of no small consequence to them; however, due to their high expectations of significant developments to come from the ILO proposals which are expected to be presented to the Naples Conference, our negative attitude toward those proposals dwarfed the significance of the assurances we were able to give. You are aware of the circumstances governing our position at Naples.
We shall continue to work for an international effort which, to begin with, will involve an attempt to preserve the shipping facilities of the IRO when that organization terminates its activities. These facilities will provide transportation and certain auxiliary services for about 100,000 emigrants during the first full year of operations. The inauguration of this international effort will be of some psychological importance to the Italians but one cannot escape the conclusion that providing shipping facilities alone will not result, during the next few years, in any appreciable alleviation of the Italian overpopulation problem. The numbers of Italians that can be moved have very definite limits in view of the circumstances and policies prevailing in the potential countries of immigration, that is the British Dominions, Latin America and the U.S.
We suggest for your consideration that this might be a propitious time for the Administration to formulate plans for legislation which will admit to the U.S. within the next few years a substantial number of Italians—possibly along the lines suggested in the memorandum from Mr. West of June 19 which was given consideration at the Under Secretary’s Meeting on July 6.2 Such a step taken in the near future would have beneficial political repercussions of great magnitude in Italy, would be warranted in terms of [Page 720] manpower needs in the U.S. and, quite possibly, would elicit a sufficiently favorable reaction in the U.S. to result in a substantial contribution toward the solution of one of Mr. De Gasperi’s most pressing problems.
Recommendation:
It has come to our attention that this matter is now under active consideration in the White House. It appears that it would be useful in the course of that consideration for the White House to have available a statement in general terms of the interest of the Department in this matter. It is, therefore, recommended that you sign the attached memorandum for the President.3
- Cosigned by Robert West, Special Consultant to the Secretary of State on Migration Affairs.↩
- At the Under Secretary’s meeting on July 6 a discussion was held concerning a paper by West entitled “Surplus Populations in Western Europe, Proposed United States Action” (UM D–145). A copy of the paper is in the Under Secretary’s Meetings, lot 53D250, Documents; the minutes of this meeting are in the same file under Notes.↩
- Not printed; it briefly informed the President that the Department of State was interested in this problem and favored some provision for increasing the number of Italians permitted to enter our country under the present immigration laws.↩