Office of the Historian

740.00119 EW/12–2845

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Southern European Affairs (Dowling)

[Washington,] December 28, 1945.

In the course of his call this afternoon, Di Stefano33 left with me the attached excerpts34 of telegrams from the Italian Embassy in Moscow reporting Quaroni’s35 conversations with Bevin and Molotov.36 Both appear to have said a few kind words about Italy, but Mr. Molotov seems not to have deviated from the previous Soviet attitude towards Italy, i.e., that while the USSR entertains only the friendliest feelings towards Italy, the latter can not expect the same consideration as the Balkan states so long as it maintains its present orientation towards the western powers. Incidentially, Mr. Molotov’s remark regarding Soviet “responsibilities towards those nations which have entrusted to it their interests and problems” appears to be his clearest admission yet of his assumption of the white man’s burden in the Balkans.

  1. Mario di Stefano, Counselor of the Italian Embassy.↩
  2. Not printed.↩
  3. Petro Quaroni, Italian Ambassador in the Soviet Union.↩
  4. Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union.↩