740.00119 A.C.T./160
The British Embassy to the Department of State
Aide-Mémoire
In view of the situation presented by the agreements between the Italian and Soviet Governments, Mr. Macmillan, who is at present in Cairo, has been instructed to proceed at once to Italy to discuss the matter with Monsieur Bogomolov and General Mason MacFarlane and decide whether the Advisory Council should not be convoked immediately in order to deal with the questions raised in telegrams received from Algiers.
Points for consideration are:
- (1)
- Did the Italian Government consult the Control Commission before agreeing with the Soviet Government for the exchange of representatives with the latter?
- (2)
- What line should be taken in regard to the memorandum, which Marshal Badoglio proposes to present to General Mason MacFarlane requesting the Allied Governments to accord Allied status to Italy?
- (3)
- What line should be taken as regards the further proposals, which according to Signor Prunas, Monsieur Bogomolov intends to put to the Italian Government in order to establish still closer relations with them?
As regards (1) this is a minor question, but it is important to get the facts clear so as to know whether the Italian Government can be convicted of having behaved improperly to the Control Commission.
As regards (2) the inclination of His Majesty’s Government is to reject the proposal to allow Italy to obtain Allied status, and it is suggested that Marshal Badoglio should be persuaded not to put such a proposal officially to the Allied governments.
As regards (3) Mr. Macmillan is instructed to enquire from Monsieur Bogomolov exactly what the Soviet Government are contemplating and to insist that if they do contemplate any further arrangements with the Italian Government, these must be discussed in the Advisory Council before they are put to the Italian Government. At the same time Mr. Macmillan is instructed to tell Monsieur [Page 1077] Bogomolov that the Italian Government are being informed that they are not entitled to enter into any engagement with any foreign Power whether Allied or neutral without the consent of the Supreme Allied Commander, which should be sought through Control Commission. This will be based not so much on the inherent rights established by the armistice conditions as on the general right of a Commander-in-Chief of occupying forces on the grounds of military security to control relations between the occupied territory and all other countries. As soon as Monsieur Bogomolov has been so informed General Mason MacFarlane should speak to the Italian Government on the lines indicated.
His Majesty’s Government hope that the United States Government will consider it desirable to send similar instructions to their representative on the Advisory Council.