Office of the Historian

Luce files, lot 64 F 26, “Washington Trip—January 1, 1954”

No. 762
Summary of Conference, by the Chief of the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Italy (Christiansen)1

secret
Washington, January 5, 1954.

Principal Participants:

  • Ambassador Luce
  • AS Defense Nash
  • Mr. Tracy Voorhees
  • Maj Gen Stewart, OSD
  • Mr. Henry Tasca, FOA, Rome
  • Mr. Freund, Office Sec State
  • Maj Gen Christiansen, MAAGIT
  • Several other State Dept officials

Ambassador Luce opened the meeting with a brief statement and then called on Mr. Tasca. After a short presentation by Mr. Tasca concerning Embassy desires on OSP a general discussion followed. Main points made were:

a.
Mr. Voorhees—about 200 million will probably be available for OSP. This is exclusive of money available for F86 K program. General Stewart suggested using figure smaller than 200 million. Final agreement was to effect that Ambassador in approaching the Italian government should use 100 to 150 million figure instead of 200.
b.

Mr. Nash and Mr. Voorhees both approve using the possibility of reduction or cancellation of OSP orders to secure political pressure to help reduce the communist threat. Mr. Nash adding that continued pressure was necessary not just a “one-shot” deal.

. . . . . . .

d.
The F 86 K program2 was outlined by Mr. Voorhees as follows: The Ambassador and others agree that the assembly of the original 50 should go ahead because to stop now after so much negotiating and talking had been done would be inadvisable. The need for approximately 62 more such planes would be taken care of as follows: Contract with North American Aviation to produce the pieces but fix the assembly phase so that it could be decided later whether to offer further assembly job to Fiat or to North American.… Mr. Nash said he would telephone Mr. Valletta’s representative that Valletta should stay in Italy until after Ambassador had talked to him. The question of whether the 37.5 million available for production of aircraft in Italy would be used for the 62 additional was not clearly developed.
e.

Mr. Voorhees. The 200 million possible for OSP is of course dependent on proper prices being proposed by Italian contractors.

. . . . . . .

J.A.C.
3

  1. A longer, more detailed memorandum of this conference, drafted by Ripps of FOA, with a full list of participants, is in Italian Desk files, lot 57 D 56, “435—Aid to Italy”.

    The source text was one of two attachments to a memorandum of Jan. 14, 1954, from Christiansen to Luce, in which Christiansen stated, “I attach two Secret papers that contain information concerning your Washington trip.” The other attachment was another memorandum from Christiansen to Luce, also dated Jan. 14, which Christiansen explained he had made for the record since its substance did not appear in any other record known to him. He noted, “After the meeting with Secretary Dulles on 2 January 1954, Mr. Nash, Assistant Secretary of Defense, asked General Christiansen if a slowdown in delivery of MDAP equipment to Italy was desired. General Christiansen replied that a slowdown was not desired by him at this time but that policy should be checked with the Ambassador. Mr. Nash then asked the Ambassador the same question—her reply was that a slowdown was not desired at this time.”

    ↩
  2. The Department of Defense had been considering since the summer of 1953 the question of placing orders for all-weather F–86 K fighters with Fiat in addition to the contract let in May 1953 for the assembly by Fiat of 50 F–86 K fighters. Background information on this subject was provided in a memorandum for the files by Levy-Hawes, Dec. 11. (Italian Desk files, lot 57 D 56, “435.03 OSP (Jan.–March ’54)”)↩
  3. A typewritten notation after the initials reads: “This summary made by General Christiansen and checked by Mr. Tasca.”↩