Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, Europe, Volume IV

740.00119 E.W./10–645

Memorandum by the State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee to the Secretary of State

Washington, October 6, 1945.

1. At the twenty-fifth meeting of the State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee held on Friday, 21 September 1945, the military and naval clauses of the Treaty of Peace with Italy (SWNCC 155/1),⁷² which had been approved at the twenty-fourth meeting subject to reconsideration in the light of such comments as might be received from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, were again brought up for discussion at the request of the Navy Department. It was pointed out that it is the opinion of U.S. Naval authorities that a strong Italian Navy might well become a menace to British interests in the Mediterranean, which would not be to the best interest of the United States; and that not more than one-third, or at the most one-half, of the present Italian fleet should be returned to Italian control. It was also the U.S. Naval viewpoint that it is inconsistent with our policy to return submarines to Italy. It was recognized, however, that political considerations may override this naval position.

2. After this discussion, the State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee agreed that the Committee’s approval of SWNCC 155/1, which had been given at the twenty-fourth meeting, subject to comments of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, should be supplemented by the following:

a. That the views of the Navy Department, as stated at this meeting by Admiral Cooke,⁷³ be expressed in full in the alternative clauses to be drawn up by the State Department, based on recommendations by the Navy Department and sent to the Secretary of State in London.

b. That recommendations should be made to U.S. representatives in London that should the British propose such treatment of the Italian Navy as envisaged in SWNCC 155/1, the United States should support their position, even though this position is not in agreement with U.S. Naval views with regard to disposition of the Italian fleet.

c. That this matter be cleared within the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

3. The alternative clauses dealing with the disposition of the Italian fleet drawn up by the Navy Department were published in SWNCC 155/2, a copy of which is attached hereto.⁷⁴

4. The comments of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on SWNCC 155/1 are also attached.⁷⁵

For the State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee:

H. Freeman Matthews

Acting Chairman

72. See footnote 71, p. 1059.
73. Vice Adm. Charles M. Cooke, Jr., Chief of Staff to the Commander in Chief, United States Fleet.
74. Not printed. There were two tentative and alternative drafts. One provided for an equilateral three-way apportionment of the combatant ships not designated to be scrapped between the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union. The other provided one-third apportionment to the Soviet Union and a reparative apportionment to France, Greece, Yugoslavia, and Albania, with the vessels not thus apportioned remaining to Italy.
75. See memorandum by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, dated October 4, p. 1059.