Memorandum re Civilian Attitudes Towards Black American Troops in Italy

me Den myrothing Infrant. ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ABY SERVICE" GOVERNUEST The presence of colored troops in Italy has caused the Italians to change their traditional liberal attitude towards colored line problems. Italy knew no color discrimination until 1938 when racial laws were passed by the Fascist regime with the purpose of "protecting the integrity of the Italian race." Italians were cautioned not to mingle with the 100,000,000 colored subjects they ruled in Italian Africa. very The attitude of the people toward the colored troops was more friendly at first. Negroes were subject of curiosity and often of affection and the Italians tended to be shocked at the discriminatory attitude of white soldiers. The situation has changed. Causes of the changes are: (a) an ed insistent propaganda by Italians who dwell in the United States that Negroes must be considered inferior and white people must not freely associate with them; (b) a tendency on the part of the American troops to blame the colored troops for all the misdeeds and pecadillos occurring in the liberated areas; (c) the growing hostility or rather a decreasing love for the American troops which frcuses itself particularly on the Negro soldiers. Rumors and propaganda point out that the Americans sent to Italy soldiers whom they considered racially inferior. In other words, they submitted Italians to a treatment to which they would not submit white Americans. (d) the behavior of white soldiers, which troops toward colored operates in Italy pretty much as it operated in Britain with the same results. As things stand now the situation is by no means out of hand and the old cultural patterns still keep discriminatory feelings under control. Yet, something must be done to counteract propaganda or rumor campaigns that tend to increase this feeling of colored discrimination among the Italians. We must remember that the more Italians will discriminate against Negro soldiers the more they will feel hostile toward the United States government which