[Enclosure—Translation]
Memorandum by the Italian Ministry for Foreign
Affairs
Commercial and Financial Relations With Foreign
Countries
1. The Italian Government will have full freedom to start
negotiations and to conclude commercial and financial agreements
with all foreign countries.
[Page 1097]
Possible negotiations with Germany and with Japan will however be
entered into only after having submitted their proposed draft to the
United Nations: the conclusion of such negotiations will be subject
to the United Nations’ consent to be obtained in advance.
The settlement of debts contracted prior to September 8th, 1943, will
also be subjected to the previous consent of the United Nations.
The Italian Government will freely dispose for export of all those
products, agricultural or industrial, which they deem to be in
excess of the needs of the home market. To this purpose the United
Nations will determine, at time intervals to be fixed, the
quantities of products included in the “Reserved Commodities Lists”,
which must be kept at their disposal, and the Italian Government
will not be allowed to dispose of said quantities unless by previous
agreement with the United Nations.
Performance of Industrial and Commercial
Activity and Protection of Other Economic Interests
The industrial plants, which are not actually carrying on industrial
activity on behalf of the United Nations, will be immediately
returned to their legitimate owners and the machinery and implements
which may temporarily have been otherwise diverted, will be
reinstated.
Any provision by the Allied Authorities which may interfere with the
industrial or commercial activity, or with other economic interests,
will be previously agreed upon with the Italian Government and dealt
with on a contractual basis.
Mercantile Marine
Until such time as the present international regulation governing
maritime traffic and the shipping of the United Nations, will
continue to be in force, the Italian merchant-men will continue to
be comprised in the “pool” under the control of the United Maritime
Association (U.M.A.), at the same conditions as those applying to
merchant-men of the United Nations.
The Italian Government and the Italian ship owners will have to free
full freedom—on the international market—to purchase, sell, charter
merchant-men, and they will be allowed to build—in their
ship-yards—merchant-men who are indispensable for the requirements
of the national maritime traffic, as well as those on order by
foreign countries.
Financial Matters
Beginning . . . . . the lire needed for the expenditures by the
Allied Authorities in Italy will be requested to the Italian
Government, who will place them at their disposal against an
equivalent credit in United Nations currencies.
[Page 1098]
Services and performances of any kind and requisitions paid for by
the Italian Government on behalf of the United Nations, as well as
the Am-lire issued up to the date when the present Convention will
enter into effect, will give origin to a credit in favour of the
Italian Government in United Nations currencies. The determination
of amounts paid out by the Italian Government and of the Am-lire
issued, and also formalities concerning the counter credit, will be
the subject of further negotiations.
The properties, goods, assets of any nature whatsoever, the right to
which has arisen in foreign countries, subsequently to September
8th, 1943, and belonging to the State, or to public and private
bodies, or to Italian citizens, are at the free disposal of those
entitled thereto, subject to the compliance with the laws and
regulations of the countries where same are located, and which are
applicable to citizens of the United Nations.
An equal treatment will be made to the increments and to income
accrued after September 8th, 1943 on Italian assets existing in the
United Nations prior to that date.
The utilization of these assets will take place according to Italian
legislation and the Allied Commission will be informed thereof.
Customs
The Italian Government is fully at liberty to reestablish their
Customs and vigilance services along the whole of the frontier line,
both maritime and inland. The re-establishment of said services on
the eastern frontier will be provisionally carried out by the Allied
Authorities after consultation with the technical organs of the
Italian Customs Administration. In the harbours still under Allied
Control, and until such time as said control will continue, the
Customs and vigilance services will be carried out by the Italian
Customs Authorities and by the “R. Guardia di Finanza”, in agreement
with the Allied authorities.
Railways
The Administration of the State Railways is entitled to run all
passengers and freight services for civilian use commensurate to the
Nation’s requirements and to the purpose it will be allowed to make
use of the whole of its rolling stock, of its telephone and
telegraph installations, both local and inter-compartmental, of all
the stocks in its warehouses and depots and of anything else which
may be needed for a better functioning of the railway service. The
aforesaid Administration shall however preordain its plans in such a
manner as to ensure priority to military transports of the United
Nations.
[Page 1099]
The office premises and the installations needed for the functioning
of the services for the running of the lines will be returned to the
railway Administration.
The workshops (both those of the State Railways and those privately
owned) for the repair and the construction of rolling stock and for
the supplies needed in connection with the running of the lines will
also be derequisitioned.
The Administration of the Italian State Railways will finally be
entitled to enter into agreements with the Administrations of the
European railways networks for a resumption of international
traffic, for the inter-change of rolling stock and for the
regulation of technical and financial questions concerning the
international railway stations at the frontiers.
Civil Aviation
The Italian Government is entitled to re-establish the Civil Aviation
services needed to connect the main Italian demographic and economic
centers with one another. They will also be entitled to reestablish
connecting air-services between the internal lines and the main
European and Outer-European centers, provided that the program for a
gradual resumption of the international air services, worked out by
the Italian Government, be previously submitted to the approval of
the United Nations.
The movements of air-lines and their utilization on the part of
Italian and foreign passengers will be carried out in accordance
with the regulations which are in force in Italy.
The use of the air-ports and of the ground “aid-to-navigation”
installations will be returned to the Italian Government subject to
the necessary agreement that their use be assured to international
traffic.
