860H.00/9–1449
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
| Participants: | Count Sforza1 |
| Ambassador Tarchiani2 | |
| Mr. Acheson | |
| Mr. Achilles | |
| Mr. Satterthwaite3 |
Sforza asked my views on what is happening in Yugoslavia. I said I did not think that present developments were a prelude to military action against Yugoslavia. Military action would blow up the myth of Russia befriending its satellite countries as well as its “peace” campaign. Troop movements were too small to indicate serious preparations [Page 957] for action. We had also considered the possibility that Russia might be stirring up the satellites to take military action but did not believe that to be the case. Sforza said there were elements of disease in Russia and Czechoslovakia. I said that I thought perhaps the intensifications of Russian efforts in Yugoslavia might be intended as a warning to Tito to stay out of Albania. It could also be for the purpose of stirring up trouble in Yugoslavia.
Sforza said that his policy was one of being friendly with the Yugoslavs even though the Italians do not like them. Tito would always be a Communist, but there is a possibility that he might be to Communism what Luther had been to Catholicism. If Tito survived Soviet pressure, the Italians might play down their claims in Trieste, and might support a Yugoslav-Bulgarian Union. If Tito became really cooperative and stopped making difficulties in. Trieste, the Italians might agree to letting him have special influence in Albania. Although he wanted to be friendly with Yugoslavia, he could not betray the Italians who want to be under Italy. I said that these matters would require careful consideration. We would be sympathetic when the time came, but we would want to take a long look at the Albanian problem lest it stir up the Greeks or Russians and really blow things up. Sforza said he was thinking mainly of the future, meanwhile he was glad the Americans were in Trieste.
- Count Carlo Sforza, Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs, was in Washington in connection with the First Session of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Council. This conversation appears, to have been part of a longer meeting during which Secretary Acheson and Sforza also discussed the former Italian colonies and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. For the records of those conversations, see vol. iv, pp. 583 and 328, respectively.↩
- Alberto Tarchiani, Italian Ambassador in the United States.↩
- Livingston L. Satterthwaite.↩