840.20/9–1449
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
| Participants: | Count Sforza |
| Ambassador Tarchiani | |
| Mr. Acheson | |
| Mr. Achilles | |
| Mr. Unger1 | |
| Mr. Satterthwaite |
Sforza began a long plea for a change in the military arrangements under the Atlantic Pact. He urged that Italy should be on the standing committee, but after I explained to him the difficulties in this regard he modified this to a request that Italy become a full member of the Western European Group, as well as a member of the Southern European Council. He said he thought that while there was no longer a direct danger of Italy’s becoming communist, there are strong nationalist elements in Italy who alone or in league with the communists might cause trouble among the population. The Italian people fear that by Italy’s not being responsible for the Western European defenses, it will find itself having no say whatever in the disposition of its own forces and military effort and unable to assure that its eastern land frontier would receive the same consideration as that of northwestern Europe. Mr. Achilles pointed out that UK, US, and France were vitally concerned with the defense of Italy and that this fact, plus Italy’s membership in the Southern European-Western Mediterranean Group, would insure that their interests were taken care of. Sforza renewed his plea and urged that some formula be worked out which would reassure the Italian people that all of Italy will be defended. I said we could not come to a conclusion on this today, but that we would discuss it further with him, tomorrow.
- Leonard Unger, Assistant Chief, Division of Southeast European Affairs.↩