865.01/1104: Telegram
The Chargé at Algiers (Chapin) to the Secretary of State
Algiers, February 25, 1944—noon.
[Received 9:05 p.m.]
[Received 9:05 p.m.]
605. For the Acting Secretary from Reinhardt.
- 1.
- Yesterday Signor de Nicola called on General MacFarlane and said that the proposal which the King made to MacFarlane reported [Page 1033] in Algiers’ 573, February 22, noon, had been the result of his own efforts to find a solution to the present political impasse. De Nicola said that after obtaining the approval of Croce and Sforza to his proposals, he had spent 4 hours persuading the King to come to a decision. Croce and Sforza had now been informed of exactly how far the King is prepared to go and although they would much prefer action to be taken at once instead of being postponed until Rome, they were definitely prepared to accept the King’s proposal.
- 2.
- Although De Nicola is doubtful that the King’s proposals would prove acceptable to the three parties of the Left, he assured MacFarlane that he is quite certain they will be acceptable to the three parties of the Center. He emphasized fact that the Christian Democratic Party enjoys the support of a large proportion of the population.
- 3.
- De Nicola believes that if adopted, the King’s proposal would insure the loyalty of the armed forces as Victor Emmanuel would remain titular King, while Humbert acted as Lieutenant of the Realm with the Royal powers unimpaired.
- 4.
- In the event the Allied Governments permit the King to follow
his proposed course of action, the sequence of events would be
the following:
- a.
- Immediate announcement by Victor Emmanuel that upon reaching Rome, he would designate Humbert Lieutenant of the Realm with full Royal powers while he himself retaining only the title of King, retired from public life.
- b.
- Once in Rome, the King would proceed directly to his villa not even going to the Quirinal.64
- c.
- The Badoglio Government would resign same day and Humbert would immediately call upon the Center Party’s candidate for Prime Minister to form a government. This Government which would take office immediately would have been agreed upon before the arrival in Rome.
- 5.
- It was insisted upon by De Nicola that formation of the new Government must precede our arrival in Rome and that certain vacancies in the Cabinet must be reserved for leading politicians in that city.
- 6.
- According to De Nicola it should not be difficult to induce the [garbled group] until Rome. If De Nicola’s information is correct (it was confirmed in the conversation yesterday between Reber and Sforza) this would appear to be an agreed solution between the Center Parties and the King which would be in accord with the policy outlined in Mr. Churchill’s statement in the House of Commons.65
MacFarlane comments that this solution, however, might produce a situation in which we would find ourselves after arrival in Rome [Page 1034] with a government of the Central one [Center alone?] and possibly a strong Left opposition which had no more possibility of making itself felt politically than at the present time. They might easily become a very disturbing factor in the new Italian administration. [Reinhardt.]
Chapin