The Italian Ambassador called on me this morning and took up with
me the following matters:
1. He left with me a letter addressed to the President enclosing
a memorandum outlining the present position of Italy and her vital needs and
aspirations. The Ambassador said that knowing how occupied the
President must be at this particular moment he had not ventured
to ask to see the President personally, and he had therefore
sought me as an intermediary for delivering his letter. I said
that I would with pleasure see that the letter gets into the
hands of the President without delay.
. . . . . . .
[Subattachment]
The Italian Ambassador (
Tarchiani
) to
President Truman
Memorandum for Mr. Truman President of
the U. S. A. on the Position,
Wishes and Hopes of Italy
1. Twenty-two months ago, on September 3, 1943, the
Armistice3 was
signed between Italy
and the United Nations, putting an end to a war in which the
Italian people were thrust against their will by Fascist
dictatorship and which they always disapproved and
opposed.
Such Armistice, the duration of which has no precedent in our
times, is still in force today in spite of the fact that
Italy has not
remained inactive, but has on the contrary enthusiastically
joined, since October 13, 1943, the cause of the Allied
Nations, taking full part in the common struggle against the
enemy.
During twenty months of co-belligerency, Italy has fought at the side
of the Allies, with her whole fleet, the forces of her
regular army, her air corps, and with more than two-hundred
thousand patriots. In the northern provinces under German
tyranny, the Italian people have also bravely taken part in
the struggle with their active and organized underground
forces, contributing in bringing to a speedy and successful
end the fight for liberty and democracy on Italian soil.
All through these months of common struggle Italy has endured miseries
and sacrifices and suffered tremendous ruins which have
brought destruction to a great part of the country.
Several months ago Italy
indicated also her willingness to take part with her
military means in the war against the Japanese aggressor.
The newly formed Italian Government, following the recent
American communication,4 is preparing the ways and means of an
effective intervention.
2. Italy has thus
proved her continued good faith as a democratic nation; she
has fought and is prepared to fight for the common cause and
has repeatedly shown her determination to practice the
principles of international friendship and cooperation. Yet
today, as it is well known, Italy finds herself in the most tragic
plight: millions of citizens are homeless, displaced persons
within and beyond her borders are innumerable, her entire
economic and financial structure is disrupted, millions of
workers are faced with unemployment. The provisions set up
in the Armistice of twenty-two months ago are still in force
and this humiliating position deprives the people and the
Government of Italy of
the possibility of thoroughly normalizing the life of the
country.
[Page 697]
The Italian people are expecting now from the Allies the
acknowledgement of their right to an honorable peace that
should raise them from the present situation to a normal
status of a well-meaning and well-doing nation. The Italian
nation is confident that the United States, which have
already given so much evidence of their friendship and
comprehension towards her, may take such an initiative which
might put an end to her present plight, and the advantageous
consequences of which would not be in Italy’s favor alone.
3. Italy has a natural
geographic frontier that history and civilization have
preserved. She wants to be at peace and on the most friendly
terms with all her neighbors.
-
a)
- With France Italy has frontiers, based upon sound
ethnical and geographic principles, which were fixed
by mutual agreement between the two countries in
1860 and upon which, for eighty-four years, never
was there any claim on the French part. Italy has recently
given evidence of her good will and friendship for
France by settling through direct negotiations the
only problem existing between the two countries. In
fact, although Tunisia was inhabited for nearly
three ninths of the population [sic] by Italians, Italy has made the substantial
sacrifice of giving up all her rights recognized by
previous agreements since 1881.5 The
Italian people feel, therefore, that no territorial
questions may exist between the two
countries.
-
b)
-
Italy has
already declared to be ready to negotiate an
honorable and equitable agreement for Venezia Giulia
with the Yugoslavs, if her vital national interests
are safe where, for more than twenty centuries, a
majority of Italians have lived, many hundreds of
years prior to the appearance of Slavs in those
regions.
- If to preserve peace in Europe and the amicable
cohabitation of the two populations some compromise
would prove absolutely necessary, it is fair and
equitable that sacrifices be made by both sides and
not only by the Italians: it cannot be forgotten
that Fiume and Zara and other areas, at present
occupied by the Yugoslavs, are entirely or
prevalently inhabited by Italians.
-
c)
- The Brenner frontier line is the natural
geographic and strategic border between the Italians
and the Germans. There was a German minority within
the Italian borders: not long ago they were given
the opportunity of choosing between remaining in
Italy or
emigrating to Germany. In fact, a part of them
decided to leave and [Page 698] went to the Nazi Reich, while a
substantial share of the alien population freely
determined to stay within the Italian nation.6
- . . . . . . .
5. As far as the Greeks are concerned, the Dodecanese
question—instead of a cause of enmity—may become a link of
friendship and understanding between the Italian and the
Greek nations, which have no reason for hate or serious
conflicting interests.
6. At Tangier Italy has
a place among the Powers entitled to preserve the
Mediterranean status quo. Such a
position constitutes for Italy a bond with all the participating
nations and with those which will subsequently join the
agreement, in the interest of furthering the
internationalization of the zone, as it is heralded by the
United States.
7. In the painful period of transition between an upsetting
war and a reorganized state of peace, Italy has to face the
problems of her economic reconstruction, the gravity of
which has already been a matter of consideration on the part
of the United States Government.
With the purpose of furthering her economic reconstruction
Italy, which is a
maritime country, needs to have the possibility of gathering
a small merchant fleet for her essential transports.
Italy needs to resume
free trade with every allied and neutral country; but a
fruitful and fairly balanced partnership could be easily
organized between American powerful means and Italian
reorganized capacity of skill and labor. Being in dire need
of economic assistance, Italy obviously will not be in a position of
paying reparations.
To help Italy in the
process of reconstruction she must be reinstated in what was
stolen from her and particularly the very inadequate stock
of gold of the Bank of Italy, the machinery depredated from
factories and plants, the works of art—of state and private
ownership—of which she has been despoiled.
8. Italian prisoners of war, still detained by the Allies,
and particularly those who have so well contributed by their
work to the common cause, should be immediately liberated
and repatriated by a generous act of humanity and fair
play.
The Italian people firmly trust that President Truman and the men who
have in their hands the destiny of Italy, will consider with
sound wisdom and enlightened comprehension the tragedy
that she [Page 699] has
lived and suffered, her effort toward a quick material
and political rehabilitation, her immense contribution
to the civilization which all nations enjoy, her strong
will to become again, and soon, a distinct active
element of equilibrium and progress in a better
world.
If all these well-founded reasons are taken in due
consideration, the supreme aspiration of Italy for an equitable
recognition and an honorable and just peace will
certainly be fulfilled.
Washington
, July 6,
1945.
