Foreign Relations of the United States, 1951, Europe: Political and Economic Developments, Volume IV, Part 1

No. 279

765.00/6–151: Telegram

The Ambassador in Italy (Dunn) to the Secretary of State ¹

secret

Rome, June 1, 1951—6 p. m.

5466. Election results now available confirm indications in Embtel 5425 May 30.² However, we would caution against generalization on national scale or too hasty conclusions suggested by use of percentages and vote totals in this first group of elections. Communists of course stress comparisons with 1948 and non-Communists with 1946 but neither comparison is wholly valid. Following general considerations occur to us:

(1) As a whole, strength of democratic parties is stable. Coalition principle has been vindicated and its necessity reinforced. Christian Democratic party remains central core of its strength.

(2) Results of displacing Communist administrations from many large and small city and provincial administrations will have cumulative favorable effect which will show up to advantage of govt coalition in next national elections.

(3) Communist ability to maintain voting strength of itself and PSI (see also Embtel 5465 May 31³) is disappointing but not alarming when considered against background of: (a) govt was not successful in posing national emergency and pertinency of international issues as in 1948; (b) Communists exploited local issues and “opposition” to CD’s and concealed almost all traces of true Stalinist theory and practice; (c) there was no reason for discontented propertyless voter to register opposition to present govt.

(4) CD’s have lost over 1948 in those provinces but have gained over 1946. Insofar as losses have national significance they may be attributable (a) to return to rightful owners of voters borrowed in 1948 under stress of national emergency; (b) some dissatisfaction with govt’s internal policies; (c) natural movement against party in power in off years election; (d) higher degree of abstention than in 1948.

Sicilian regional elections June 3 and municipal-provincial elections in 30 more provinces north, central and southern Italy June 10 will perhaps give further indications of national significance.

Dunn

1. Repeated to Paris and London.
2. Telegram 5425 contained a brief analysis of preliminary election returns based on newspaper accounts. (765.00/5–3051)
3. Telegram 5465 concluded, based on the voting results in the largest industrial centers in northern Italy, that the voting strength of the Italian Communist Party continued to be a measure of working class discontent which was easily expressed in a vote without risking violence of any sort. (765.00/6–151)