740.00119 Council/12–946: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Acting Secretary of State 1
Delsec 1102. From the Secretary. Department please relay to Am-Embassy, Rome.2 As the final work in connection with the treaty of peace with Italy draws to a close and arrangements for the signing of the treaty are being made, it would seem to be of great value to have a discussion with Mr. De Gasperi on matters of mutual interest to our two governments.
Would you, therefore, extend an invitation on the part of the Government of the United States to Mr. De Gasperi as Prime Minister of Italy to come to Washington in the early part of January with a view to discussing the renewal of normal commercial relations between Italy and the United States and also other relevant matters of interest to the two countries. You might tell Mr. De Gasperi that I would be most happy if he could find his way to accept this invitation.3
Please also say that if Mr. De Gasperi can accept, I would suggest that any announcement to that effect be delayed until we have worked out a time when there could be simultaneous announcement of his acceptance both in Washington and Rome.
- Secretary of State Byrnes was in New York for the Third Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers, November 4–December 11, 1946.↩
- Repeated to Rome, December 9, 3:50 p.m. In telegram 2141, December 12, not printed, the Chargé was instructed to inform the Italian Foreign Minister, Nenni, in general terms of the invitation after it had been extended to the Prime Minister (740.00119 Council/12–1246).↩
- In telegram 4369, December 12, from Rome, not printed, Key reported that De Gasperi was most grateful for the invitation which he hoped to be able to accept; he expected to give a definite decision by December 16 (740.00119 Council/12–1246).↩