740.0011 EW Peace/3–2647: Telegram

The Ambassador in Italy (Dunn) to the Secretary of State at Moscow77

secret

26. For Secretary Marshall. Count Sforza disturbed by report received from Italian Ambassador Brosio to effect that Italy will not be afforded real opportunity to present its case at German peace treaty discussions and that notwithstanding vital importance Italo-German economic and political relations Italy will be relegated to same category as Bulgaria, Rumania, Yugoslavia and other Balkan countries whose relationships with Germany he described as being of secondary importance.78 See also Emtel 27, March 26 repeated Department as 640.79 Stressing that this was not a matter of prestige but of hard realism he has asked that his views be brought personally to your attention in the hope that you would insist that Italy be given opportunity directly to participate in negotiations.

Sent Moscow 26, repeated Department 639.

Dunn
  1. Repeated to the Department of State as telegram 639.
  2. In a communication to the members of the Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Moscow, a copy of which was transmitted to the Department of State by the Italian Embassy on March 15, 1947, the Italian Foreign Minister had requested Italian participation not only in the final German peace conference but also in earlier work in the preparation of a German peace settlement (740.0011 EW Peace/3–1547).
  3. Not printed.