865.014/2–447

Memorandum by the Director of the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs (Henderson) to the Counselor of the Department of State (Cohen)1

The Italian Prime Minister, during his recent visit to this country,2 [Page 570] left with the Department the attached undated, unheaded and unsigned document on the Italian colonial question.3

It will be noted that the Italians have requested participation in the commissions of investigation to be sent to the colonies in accordance with Annex XI of the Italian Treaty. Recent telegrams from Paris and London indicate that the Italians have also approached the French and British Governments with the same request. The French are reported to be favorable to the request, but the British are said to have informally told the Italians that they foresaw difficulties in any support for the Italian request, which would raise the question of representatives of other interested states accompanying the commissions.

We feel that we could not support the Italian request without granting similar privileges to all of the other interested parties. These would certainly include Ethiopia and Egypt and perhaps others, including the Arab League. (The British also mentioned Australia, South Africa and India.) Commissions of this size would be cumbersome and their work almost certainly hampered by the necessity of considering the claims and counterclaims of the representatives of the interested parties. The clear intent of Annex XI is to provide for impartial, fact finding commissions and the assignment of representatives (or even observers) of Italy, Ethiopia, Egypt, etc. would almost certainly not contribute to this end.

It is our suggestion, if you concur, that the Italians be advised informally that we consider that the second paragraph of Article XI contains ample assurance that their views (and those of other interested powers) concerning the final disposal of the colonies will be given full consideration by the Four Powers, without the necessity of Italian (or other) representatives accompanying the commissions of investigation.

Loy W. Henderson
  1. The source text bears the handwritten marginal endorsement “I concur B. V. Cohen”.
  2. Italian Prime Minister Alcide de Gasperi visited Washington during January 1947; for documentation regarding the visit, see pp. 835 ff.
  3. Not printed.