740.00119 Control (Italy)/10–1643

The British Embassy to the Department of State

Aide-Mémoire

On October 2nd Mr. Wright71 left with Mr. Dunn a copy of a telegram from the Foreign Office in which it was suggested that it would be desirable to offer the Soviet Government a satisfactory [Page 409] position on the Control Commission for Italy72 or whatever authority was set up to ensure the carrying out of the surrender terms (a copy of this telegram is attached for convenience of reference73).

In a message to President Roosevelt of October 8th (No. 44274), Mr. Churchill suggested that it would be a good thing to tell Monsieur Molotov75 that the Soviet Government’s desire to play their part in the control of Italy was understood, and that it was hoped to propose a scheme to them in the near future which should meet their requirements. Mr. Churchill suggested that General Eisenhower should be asked to submit a scheme for consideration. He understood from Mr. Macmillan, who was in London, that this could be done without undue difficulty.

Sir Ronald Campbell has now been instructed to repeat the suggestion that General Eisenhower should be asked if he can devise a method of associating the U. S. S. R., the French and the other interested Allies with the Italian Control Commission.

  1. Michael Wright, First Secretary of the British Embassy.
  2. Regarding the establishment of the Control Commission, see vol. i, pp. 793794.
  3. Not printed.
  4. Ante, p. 384.
  5. V. M. Molotov, People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union.