711.4027/7–2248: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Rome
1950. Suggest Itals be urged continue to stall off Yugos re air agreement (Embtel 3099, July 20)1 and be requested again (if Emb believes necessary) confirm their willingness check with US before making any commitment, formal or otherwise, to Yugos or other satellites re civil air rights.
For Emb info only, Dept hopes to line up Itals and other key countries along Soviet sphere periphery in effort erect “Common Front” counter-curtain envisaged in new US aviation policy toward USSR and satellites as soon as possible after policy implementation discussions currently being held in London with Brit are successfully consummated. In meantime, Dept hopes (and is so advising missions concerned by Deptcirtel) periphery missions will endeavor, if in their opinion appropriate and without revealing nature or objective of new US policy, pursuade countries to which accredited hold line against any further expansion air operations by satellite carriers.
Sent Rome as 1950, rptd Bern as 1023, and London as 2882.
- Not printed.↩