Office of the Historian

750G.00/8–2554: Telegram

No. 245
The Ambassador in Italy (Luce) to the Department of State1
top secret
Rome, August 25, 1954—7 p.m.

764. I have just learned from Satterthwaite2 that NSC decided on August 12 to deploy TRUST forces temporarily to Leghorn following anticipated Trieste settlement. This proposal has not been discussed with Embassy and we shall have to study it when have further information concerning deployment. Meanwhile you may wish to consider following points:

1.
Leghorn can not currently accommodate these forces in present installation except under canvas, and even then only with considerable dislocation of services, unless they merely transit Leghorn in small units.
2.
Italians have often proposed informally (see Embtel 1223 October 12, 19533) that TRUST forces remain Trieste. Any indication they would be redeployed, even temporarily, on Italian soil, will again raise this question.
3.
A force increment of such magnitude would require prior discussion with Italians, since if they are to stay for any length of time this large deployment might raise questions and possibly delay negotiations re facilities package.

Luce
  1. Repeated for information to Paris for Satterthwaite and CINCEUR, to Vienna for CGUSFA, and to Trieste for Higgs.↩
  2. Luce stopped off briefly in Paris en route from Washington to Rome where she was to represent President Eisenhower at the funeral of former Prime Minister Alcide De Gasperi, who died Aug. 19.↩
  3. Not printed.↩