No. 752
Editorial Note
On July 16, Alcide De Gasperi succeeded in forming a new government composed entirely of Christian Democrats. This government, however, resigned on July 28 following a vote of no confidence in the Chamber of Deputies. On August 2 President Luigi Einaudi asked Attilio Piccioni to attempt to form a new government, but he informed the President on August 13 that he was unable to do so. Information regarding the defeat of De Gasperi’s government and Piccioni’s difficulties in forming a government is in telegram 348 from Rome, July 27 (765.00/7–2753), and telegram 486 from Rome, August 8 (765.00/8–853).
On August 13 President Einaudi turned to the Minister of the Budget in De Gasperi’s cabinet, Giuseppe Pella, who formed an entirely Christian Democratic government on August 15. The Pella government was sworn in on August 17 and received votes of confidence in the Senate on August 23 and in the Chamber on August 24. A memorandum from Ridgway B. Knight to Livingston T. Merchant, dated August 17, which provided information and comments on the Pella government, is in file 765.00/8–1753. Pella stated publicly that he considered his government a transitional one and that he would resign by the end of October following Parliamentary approval of the budget. His first weeks in office were dominated by increasing tension with Yugoslavia over Trieste resulting from Italian fears late in August that Yugoslavia intended to annex Zone B and from the announcement by the United States and the United Kingdom on October 8 that they would withdraw their occupation forces and return Zone A to Italy.