Telegram from Alexander Kirk to Secrertary of State Edward Stettinius

DEPARTMENT INCOMING DIVISION OF OF CENTRAL SERVICES STATE TELEGRAM TELEGRAPH SECTION DRM-1430 Rome This telegram must be closely paraphrased be- Dated May 2, 1945 fore being communicated to anyone (SECRET) REC'd 4:25 p.m. SECrEtary of State DECLASSIFIED Washington Dept. S.O. 11652, Sec, 3(E) and 5(D) By of State letter, Aug, (E) or US URGENT. MLJ-AL NARS Date 2-25-75 10, 1972 1113, May 2, 3 p.m. STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL. The Minister for ForEign Affairs has just sent for me to say that the report that Tito's troops have occupied territory up to the Izonzo has made the most profound and painful impression on the Italian Government and on all patriotic ElEments in Italy who have bEEn reached by this news. HE stressed the fact that all the forces of order in the country WETE absorbed in the Effort to meet the impact of the liberation of the north and to maintain a continuity of discipline in the face of the disruptive possibili- ties inherent in the situation resulting from the collapsE of GErman and Fascist rule in the hitherto occupied territory and that he believed that the dissemination of the information of Yugoslav occupation of territory which in the conviction of the populace AND was rightfully SERVICES