033.6511/12–348
The Director of the Office of European Affairs (Hickerson) to the Director, Plans and Operations Division, General Staff, United States Army (Maddocks)
My Dear General Maddocks: The Department of State has reviewed the Department of the Army’s paper on “The Position of the Department of the Army in Matters Which may be Discussed with General Marras, Italian Chief of Staff” informally presented to the Department for its concurrence.
Certain aspects of the problem are receiving further consideration by the interested offices of the Department and additional comments will be forwarded to the Department of the Army at an early date. In the meantime, it is recommended that officers of the Army refrain from communicating to the Italian authorities specific comments concerning this Government’s position with regard to Italy’s participation in any regional arrangements to which the United States may eventually adhere. Should the Italians bring up the question during initial conversations, it is suggested that they be informed that while the United States is sympathetic to Italy’s eventual association with whatever regional arrangements may be undertaken for the defense of Western Europe, we are still discussing through diplomatic channels the question of membership and do not know what the final conclusions will be.
Should it be possible to avoid discussion of this question with the Italian authorities until shortly before the end of General Marras’ [Page 814] visit, it is hoped that he might at that time be given more specific information and assurances concerning our position.1
Sincerely yours,
- No such message of
the Department of State to the Military Establishment or to any of
its components prior to General Marras’ departure from Washington on
December 22 has been found in the files of the Department of State.
See, however, the document of December 16, “State Department Guidance Reference Discussions with General Marras,” infra.
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