865.5018/3–1547: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in Italy
364. In view of tight food situation it seems doubtful that sufficient supplies can be obtained to permit Italian imports at a rate which would require $200 million of relief financing by US. It might be [Page 877] pointed out to De Gasperi that although amount of funds which US can allocate to Italy from $350 million may be substantially below $200 million we are hopeful that it will be sufficient to permit procurement of such part of essential supplies as are available in US which Italy itself cannot finance from other resources. In meantime every effort should be made by Italians to secure help from other countries such as Argentina, Switzerland, Brazil and Canada. Further comments on other questions ur 514 Mar 101 will follow shortly.
- In this telegram, not printed, Dunn reported on his first official call on Prime Minister De Gasperi who among other things mentioned “that the $350,000,000 requested by Congress would not seem to provide for Italy the $200,000,000 which had been discussed with him in Washington.” (740.0011 EW (Peace)/3–1047)↩