U.S. Efforts to Support Democratic Forces in Italy and to Reduce the Power of the Communist Party; U.S. Attitude Toward the Italian Government’s Possible “Opening to the Left” 1

1. Continued from Foreign Relations, 1952–1954, vol. VI, Part 2, pp. 1565 ff.


61. Letter From the Ambassador to Italy (Luce) to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Cutler)

Source: Eisenhower Library, Clarence Francis Records. Top Secret. Ambassador Luce was in Washington for consultations.

At a meeting of the Operations Coordinating Board on January 12, Cutler had asked for guidance with regard to an impending dinner engagement with Luce. Under Secretary Hoover, Department of State Representative and Chairman of the OCB, replied that he believed Luce wished to discuss a plan for assistance to Italy, but that he had informed Luce that such a suggestion would require study and more money than he believed would be available. [3½ lines of text not declassified] (Department of State, OCB Files: Lot 61 D 385, OCB Preliminary Notes)


62. Telegram From the Embassy in Italy to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 765.5–MSP/2–1155. Secret; Limit Distribution.


63. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Italy

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 033.6511/2–1155. Secret. Drafted and signed for Dulles by Merchant.


64. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Italy

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 765.5–MSP/2–1155. Secret; Limit Distribution. Drafted by John Wesley Jones and William E. Knight.


65. Memorandum of Discussion at the 237th Meeting of the National Security Council, Washington February 17, 1955

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records. Top Secret. Drafted by S. Everett Gleason on February 18.


66. Telegram From the Embassy in Italy to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 765.5–MSP/2–1855. Secret. Repeated to Paris.


67. Outline Plan Prepared by the Operations Coordinating Board

Source: Department of State,OCB Files: Lot 62 D 430, Italy. Top Secret. In a March 10 memorandum attached to the source text, Elmer B. Staats, Executive Officer of the OCB, stated that the Board concurred in the report on March 2, and on March 9 added a “Purpose and Use Statement” to the report. That statement indicated the agencies involved had agreed to implement the plan subject to later review and modification. The minutes of the March 2 meeting are ibid.: Lot 61 D 385.


68. Letter From the Ambassador in Italy (Luce) to the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Merchant)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 033.6511/3–1555. Secret; Official–Informal. Merchant transmitted this letter to Under Secretary Hoover on March 18, with a covering note that reads in part as follows: “While I have reservations with regard to some of the arguments advanced by Mrs. Luce in condemning the Plan, I am in full agreement with her recommendation to avoid at present ‘any hearty public expression of support by Administration members of the Vanoni Plan in its present stage and in the Italians’ present situation.’” Merchant also sent copies of the letter to Stassen and Waugh. (Ibid.)


69. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Italy

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 033.6511/3–1855. Confidential. Drafted by John Wesley Jones. Repeated to Paris for Ambassador Luce who was en route to Washington for consultations at the Department of State prior to the visit of Scelba and Martino to the United States.


70. Memorandum From the Secretary of State to the President

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File. Top Secret.


71. Draft Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington March 28, 1955, 11 a.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 765.13/3–2855. Secret. Prepared by Lieutenant Colonel Walters, a member of the U.S. Delegation to the NATO Standing Group in Washington. A note, dated March 30 and attached to the source text, indicates that this draft was cleared by Merchant and seen by Secretary Dulles.


72. Memorandum of a Conversation, White House, Washington, March 28, 1955, Noon

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 765.00/3–2855. Top Secret. Drafted by Walters.


73. Record of a Meeting, Washington, March 29, 1955, 11 a.m.

Source: Department of State, Italian Desk Files: Lot 58 D 357, Scelba 1955. For Official Use Only. Drafted by Andrew N. Overby.


74. Memorandum of a Conversation, Secretary of State Dulles’ Office, Department of State, Washington, March 30, 1955, 10:15 a.m.

Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199. Secret. Prepared on April 1; the drafting officer is not indicated.


75. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, March 30, 1955, 10:50 a.m.

Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199. Secret. Drafted on April 1; the drafting officer is not indicated.


76. Telegram From the Embassy in Italy to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 765.00/5–555. Top Secret; Priority.


77. Memorandum of a Conversation Between President Gronchi and the Ambassador in Italy (Luce), Rome, May 21, 1955

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 765.11/5–2455. Secret. Drafted by Luce. Transmitted as an enclosure to despatch 2411 from Rome, May 24. Paolo Canali, Diplomatic Adviser to Prime Minister Scelba, served as interpreter.


78. Telegram From the Embassy in Italy to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 765.00/5–2455. Secret.


79. Memorandum From the Ambassador in Italy (Luce) to the Counselor of Embassy (Durbrow) and the Army Attaché (Miller)

Source: Department of State, Luce Files: Lot 64 F 26, Correspondence and Miscellaneous 1955. Secret.


81. Memorandum From the Secretary of State to the President

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File. Confidential.


82. Memorandum of a Conversation, Rome, July 23, 1955

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 765.00/7–2555. Secret. Drafted by Luce. Transmitted as an enclosure to despatch 151 from Rome, July 25.


83. Memorandum of a Conversation Between Foreign Minister Martino and the Ambassador in Italy (Luce), Rome, July 29, 1955

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 765.00/8–155. Secret. Drafted by Luce. Transmitted as an enclosure to despatch 217 from Rome, July 29.


84. Telegram From the Embassy in Italy to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 765.00/8–1055. Secret.


85. Telegram From the Embassy in Italy to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 033.6511/8–1755. Secret.


86. Telegram From the Embassy in Italy to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 765.00/8–1955. Top Secret.


87. Telegram From the Embassy in Italy to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 110.11–DU/10–1955. Secret; Priority.


88. Message From the Secretary of State to the President, at Denver

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 110.11–DU/10–2355. Confidential. Transmitted to the Department of State in Dulte 2 from Paris, which is the source text. A handwritten note on the source text indicates that the telegram was sent to the Denver White House on October 25. The President was in Denver recovering from a heart attack.


89. Telegram From the Embassy in Italy to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 110.11–DU/10–2355. Secret. Repeated to Paris.


90. Telegram From the Embassy in Italy to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 110.11–DU/10–2355. Secret. Repeated to Paris.