865.00/3–148: Telegram

The Ambassador in Italy ( Dunn ) to the Secretary of State

[Extract]
top secret

879. Mytels 543, February 7, 761, February 21, 814 February 25,1 indicate my growing concern over the outcome of elections in Italy. I am sure that Department will agree with me that if the Communists and the Communist controlled PSI should succeed in obtaining a sufficient electoral strength to ensure their reentering the government if will mean the defeat of our entire Italian policy and the beginning of a trend towards totalitarianism in Italy that it will be practically impossible to stop. The responsibility of such development will of [Page 837] course rest with the Italian people but a Communist electoral victory will also mean a victory for Soviet policy regarding Italy as opposed to the policy of the US. The Soviet Union in its policy in Italy has quite obviously concentrated entirely on direct support of Communist Party in Italy and the unlimited funds now being spent by the Communists for electoral purposes are the result of Soviet support.

As the election campaign develops, the weight of the well-organized, dynamic, and costly campaign of the Communist-Socialist front becomes clearly and disturbingly evident. Through sheer preponderance of expenditures for posters, leaflets, busses, flags, bands, and general paraphernalia of demagoguery the front is pulling in masses in almost every area in Italy. This campaign, of course, is largely based on the dangers of imperialist monopoly inherent in American aid and the Marshall Plan to which are added promises of nationalization of industry and division of the land to the peasants. The successes of what they call the “democratic forces” of Gottwald in Czechoslovakia, Pauker in Rumania, and Rakosi in Hungary, are headlined as indication of the strength of the “peoples” Communist movement which will inevitably take over all of Europe. With considerable skill and alarming success they are playing up the Italian propensity to flock to the winning banner.

Practically all the non-Communist Italians with whom we have conversed during the past two weeks appear greatly concerned over the present trend of public opinion. They see their own campaigns as pitiably small and inadequate as compared with the blazing fanfare of the Communist-Socialist front, yet they claimed to have gathered every available lira from industry and from individuals. They state that the business recession, the stringency of bank credits, the severe drop in the value of securities on the bourse, and the heavy demands of the patrimonial tax have made it impossible for them to raise funds which are comparable to those available to the Communists.

The Prime Minister himself has remarked to me on the wave of alarm which has penetrated quite generally since the Pescara elections.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Dunn
  1. See footnote 5, p. 835.