865.01/12–5441: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the American Representative on the Advisory Council for Italy (Kirk)
549. Department released following statement to press today:
“The Department has received a number of inquiries from correspondents in regard to its position concerning the recent Cabinet crisis in Italy.
“The position of this Government has been consistently that the composition of the Italian Government is purely an Italian affair except in the case of appointments where important military factors are concerned. This Government has not in any way intimated to the Italian Government that there would be any opposition on its part to Count Sforza. Since Italy is an area of combined responsibility, we have reaffirmed to both the British and Italian Governments that we expect the Italians to work out their problems of government along democratic lines without influence from outside. This policy would apply to an even more pronounced degree with regard to governments of the United Nations in their liberated territories.”