865.01/2364: Telegram
The American Representative on the Advisory Council for Italy (Murphy) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 23—6:30 a.m.]
3668. Last evening Badoglio beaming with satisfaction told me of his labors during the past week in working what he described as the “Alchemy of politics” to produce the broad based Liberal Government which was announced by him yesterday.
[Page 1103]Badoglio said frankly that the Communist, Togliatti (Ercoli), had proved the most effective collaborator throughout the negotiation with the Party leaders. Badoglio described Togliatti as an able and intelligent Italian patriot working for the national welfare but Badoglio was noncommittal regarding Togliatti’s long term purposes or affiliation with the Soviet Union. Badoglio stated that when representatives of Italian Communist Party insisted that a Party member hold portfolio of War Minister that Togliatti interposed objection and moved that there be no change in present composition of War, Navy, and Air Ministries. He made the point that everything must be sacrificed if necessary to promote the war effort and that qualified technicians should be kept in charge of these vital Ministries.
Badoglio said that he wanted to talk frankly and confidentially to me. He recalled recent Russian proposal regarding exchange of diplomatic representatives. He said “You Americans must not leave me in a position where without warning I might be subject to a further proposal from the same source looking to an alliance with Soviet Union. You know that I wish to treat in all loyalty with the Anglo-Americans but remember that I signed an armistice with the Three Powers. Who am I, the representative of the defeated Power, to cavil or object if one of the Three Powers comes to me with an offer designed to improve the status and condition of my country? But you should not permit me to be placed in that awkward situation. The USA and Great Britain should be able to so organize matters that such independent moves would not be possible”.
Badoglio also referred to apparent withdrawal of the USA directing influence in the Mediterranean saying “If you permit me I think that for the longer term the US is making an error in surrendering (or so it seems to me) its influence in this region. The Mediterranean will become the pivot in the future of a huge new European-African politico economic setup in which Italy will play a certain role. Your Soviet ally and Great Britain seem to see and appreciate this. Why do you withdraw? We Italians like to deal with Americans and we think we know that our economic future is bound with the west. We can hope for little or no material support from the Soviet Union for many years to come and also but little from Great Britain. But what happens. You withdraw your good Eisenhower and the sympathetic General Smith30 and General Wilson whom I esteem takes over. It leaves my people with an impression that the US is abandoning Italy to Great Britain and the Soviet Union”.
I took pains to describe to Badoglio something of our vast worldwide military operations and obligations reassuring him of the sympathy [Page 1104] and interest of the US in Italian welfare suggesting that he should not place too firm a long-term construction on the temporary swings of military strategy which at times merely reflected the excessive demands made on our resources. I also congratulated him on the strenuous and successful effort he has made with so much patience and tenacity to comply with Allied desire to see Italian people equipped with a democratic representative government. He said that when he came to die that he hoped to reach Heaven, find an easy chair reserved for him labeled “patience”.
On departing Badoglio handed to me following list of names of persons constituting his new Government as approved by himself and the King and stating that they were all committed to one prime objective, the successful and urgent prosecution of the war.
Names listed on my immediately following telegram 36689 [3669]31