865.51/10–2047
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Acting Secretary of State
| Participants: | Ambassador Tarchiani |
| Pietro Campilli, Chairman of the Italian Inter-Ministerial Committee on Reconstruction | |
| Mr. Lovett, Acting Secretary | |
| Mr. Ness, OFD | |
| Mr. Dowling, SE |
The Italian Ambassador called at his request this afternoon to present Mr. Campilli and to leave with me a memorandum giving [Page 994] figures on Italy’s immediate financial needs which Mr. Campilli had brought from Rome.1
The Ambassador said that on the basis of the latest information which Mr. Campilli had received from Rome this morning by telephone Italy had some $9 million on hand with something over $10 million in obligations which had to be met immediately. He added that the memo would show Italy’s needs to December 31 amounted to some $180 million. Mr. Campilli explained that this sum represents not only supplies needed for the rest of the year but also supplies which the Italian Government must purchase within the very near future for consumption in January and February. He pointed out that a firm commitment must be made by November 5 for the small amounts of grain available to Italy from Turkey, Syria and Argentina; otherwise this grain would be sold to other countries or would be available to Italy only at greatly increased prices. He said too that additional coal supplies were needed because of a shortage in hydroelectric power in Italy.
I told the Ambassador and Mr. Campilli that I would ask Mr. Ness to look over these figures and that I would also examine them personally. The Ambassador thanked me and said that he knew we realized the extent of Italy’s needs but he wished to urge that we do everything possible to obtain funds at once for these immediate needs.
- Infra.↩