865.01/851: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé at Algiers (Chapin)
147. For Reinhardt. Your 194, December 19, 9 p.m.14 The Department has no objection to Ercoli’s return to Italy if agreeable to AFHQ and the Italian Government. It is assumed that AFHQ knows that Ercoli (whose real name is Palmiro Togliatti) is one of the world’s ten leading international Communists; that he is the number one Italian Communist in the world; and that during its existence he was a member of the directorates of the Communist International, such as the Executive Committee, the Presidium of the Executive Committee and the Secretariat of the Executive Committee, which plans the policies and tactics of the Communist International.
Ercoli has likewise taken up his proposed return to Italy with the British through their Embassy at Moscow. The Foreign Office has taken the position that it will not object, but has asked our opinion. We are informing the British Embassy that we likewise have no objection if agreeable to AFHQ and the Italian Government. It is understood that the Foreign Office has referred the question to AFHQ which in turn has referred Ercoli’s return to the Italian Government.
- Not printed.↩