865.01/2361: Telegram
The Chargé at Algiers (Chapin) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8:20 p.m.]
1316. From L’Heureux. General MacFarlane reports that Togliatti (Ercoli) conferred with him yesterday afternoon and that they were in complete accord that a most urgent necessity was formation of a government to include all the political parties.
A definite statement that the Communist Party was very ready to serve under Badoglio as Prime Minister was given MacFarlane by Togliatti who said that Badoglio had a perfectly clean record in his opinion.
Togliatti asked MacFarlane how he would view defection of the Action Party which Togliatti definitely believed would not agree to join the new government. MacFarlane replied that he would regard the defection of one relatively small party with equanimity provided the other five opposition parties agreed to collaborate with Badoglio.
The Communist Party was claimed by Togliatti to be the best organized in Italy by far but he reiterated that all efforts must be devoted now to insuring maximum war effort against Germany and that until the war is won political disputes must be postponed.
He considered favorable progress was being made toward formation of the new government and planned to see Badoglio later yesterday. [L’Heureux.]