740.00119 ACI/24: Telegram
The American Representative to the French Committee of National Liberation at Algiers (Wilson) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11:50 p.m.]
170. From Murphy.
1. At the meeting of the Advisory Council December 15, it was decided formally to recommend to the Commander in Chief that all Italian territory south of the line Salerno–Bari and including Sicily and Sardinia (areas 1, 2 and 6) be transferred to Italian administration subject, in accordance with the terms of the Armistice, to the guidance and instructions of the Allied Control Commission. The transfer it is understood is subject to the two conditions: (a) That the administration local and central will be carried on by officials of Allied sympathies and proven good faith; and (b) that this involves no commitment to the Government of Marshal Badoglio after capture of Rome.
2. A second recommendation to the Commander in Chief decided upon by the Council suggests he issue to the Deputy President of the Allied Control Commission a specific directive to the effect that in so far as military necessity permits he should be guided in exercising the functions of control by the terms of the Moscow Declaration regarding Italy22 and in particular by the terms of the paragraph of the Declaration numbered 2.
The two foregoing recommendations of the Council have been communicated to the Commander in Chief and with his approval are being released to the press for publication in the morning papers of Saturday, December 18.
3. The question of Soviet and French representation on the Control Commission which had been referred by the Commander in Chief to the Council for an opinion brought forth discussion similar to that [Page 441] already heard at the first two meetings of the Council. Mr. Makins,23 acting in Macmillan’s absence, proposed that such representation be agreed to and that the representatives should hold as Deputy Chiefs of Staff to the Deputy President of the Commission or be described as Soviet and French Vice Presidents of the Commission. Discussion of this proposal revealed that the Soviet conception of the Control Commission, their interpretation of article 37 of the Long Term Armistice was of a deliberative body meeting under the chairmanship of the Commander in Chief and empowered to make decisions of policy. This was in contrast to the Anglo-American concept of any executive instrument operating directly under the authority and instructions of the Commander in Chief. Mr. Vyshinsky stated that it was on the basis of the former interpretation that the Soviet Government had appointed General Solodovnic and his assistant to the Commission and their appointments notified to the American and British Governments which had in fact voiced no objections thereto. He considered that in order to obtain clarification of the matter which was now somewhat confused, it should be handled in writing. Mr. Makins accordingly undertook to prepare a written proposal for consideration at the next meeting of the Council.
I am inclined to believe that when the Soviet Government fully appreciates the administrative and technical nature of the work of the Commission it may even be satisfied with the present Soviet representation on the Advisory Council which corresponds in fact to the type of political participation Mr. Vyshinsky appears to be seeking on the Control Commission. Such a solution of this question, however, might well produce an expansion of the activities of the Council beyond that originally contemplated. In this connection I would be grateful for an early reply to my 152 [154] December 14, and an indication of the Department’s views on this matter.
4. With reference to Marshal Badoglio’s recent request to establish contact with the Council (see my 156, December 14) it was felt that it might be very useful to hear the Marshal or a member of his Government at the next meeting of the Council held in Italy. I pointed out, however, that for general purposes it was understood that the Control Commission and not the Advisory Council will be the agency of contact with the Italian Government and will maintain the relations between that Government and the Allies.
5. Following an informal discussion of the current political and economic situation in Italy it was agreed that the Council should next meet when the members were prepared to consider further the question of Soviet and French representation on the Control Commission.
(Sent to Department and repeated to London and Moscow.) [Murphy.]
- Vol. i, p. 759.↩
- Roger Makins.↩