865.5018/3–1347: Telegram
The Ambassador in Italy (Dunn) to the Secretary of State
552. All figures thousand metric tons. High Commissioner Cerreti1 visited Embassy today and urgently requested US immediately furnish 80 wheat or flour by diversion or borrowing from other destinations. Of this 25 should arrive before 1 April. Italians borrowed 15 [Page 876] from AC this week and must repay with first arrivals April. In addition to 80 now requested will need following arrivals to continue present ration until harvest: April 230 US plus 150 Argentina; May same as April; June 100 US and 50 Argentina. Cerreti also asks maximum possible be wheat since US corn difficult.2
From 28 February to 20 March, 120 cereals exclusive corn (wheat equivalent) will have arrived according official forecast.
Revised but provisional stock position; (a) wheat and minor cereals and (b) corn follow: February 1 stock, (a) 231 (b) 135; amassing February 18, 16; arrivals February 145, 35; apparent February consumption 246, 71; February 28 stock 148 and 115 (Embtel 432 February 283).
Foreseeable supplies should permit distribution ration 200 grams bread but no pasta normal consumers plus issue bread and pasta for supplements and special classes for average of 29 days from March 1 but because of uneven distribution some places will exhaust supplies by 18 March.
Foreseeable supplies for bread ration at 200 grams including stocks plus shipments en route sufficient to following dates: Sardegna, April 18, Emilia, March, Umbria, Abruzzi, Lucania, March 31, all other regions, March 18–23.
After March 20 no wheat expected for 8 or 9 days and many regions may be forced suspend bread ration. Arrivals from non-US sources will increase late April or May and could be used to repay any wheat that may be diverted now.
Has been widespread unrest from failure to meet ration and from issuance corn in south. Also strikes of millers and demonstrations of unemployed pasta workers. Cerreti says more serious events likely if bread ration has to be reduced.
Embassy urges all assistance possible.4
- Giulio Cerreti, Italian High Commissioner for Alimentation in De Gasperi’s third cabinet.↩
- In despatch No. 319, March 14, from Rome, not printed, a translation of the memorandum which Cerreti left with the Embassy was forwarded to the Department (865.5018/3–1447).↩
- Not printed.↩
- In telegram 427, March 26, not printed, the Department replied that because of insufficient wheat in relation to corn, it was impossible to divert wheat or flour to Italy (865.5018/3–1347).↩