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The favorable attitude already expressed by France toward the return to Italy
of its former colonies has been one of the factors in improving relations between the
two countries. Another is the promise of the French Government to improve the work-
ing conditions of Italian emigrant labor in France. A Franco-Italian customs union,
long-discussed, now seems somewhat closer to realization. Despite a previous French
Assembly adverse vote, the French Government may still consider a readjustment in
Italy's favor of the Italo-French boundary provided by the Peace Treaty. Furthermore,
many Italians welcome, as a recognition of equality, various evidences that France
(along with the US) favors Italian participation in a western alliance.
In contrast to Italy's improved relations with the US and France, its attitude
toward the UK has become embittered by British claims to trusteeship over Cyrenaica
and British opposition to the return to Italy of most of the other former Italian colonies.
Some Italians have also resented the earlier British opposition to Italian entry into
an Atlantic Pact, although this resentment will probably be diminished by the decision
of the Western Powers to invite Italy to participate therein.
10019
c. Colonies.
Ultimate disposition of the colonies will have some bearing on the willingness
of the Italian people to support fully a western military pact. Italy, basing its claims
on the assertion that the colonies were acquired before the advent of Fascism, would
like to have them returned, partly for reasons of prestige, partly because of fancied
economic gain, and partly because of their supposed usefulness as an outlet for the
surplus population. Wide sections of the press and various nationalist pressure groups
assiduously keep colonial aspirations alive. Though any disposition short of full
return to Italian control would bring an adverse Italian reaction, most Italians are
probably reconciled to eventual UK control of Cyrenaica. On the other hand, the
mere report that the US and UK favored awarding most of Eritrea to Ethiopia elicited
much popular bitterness as well as a threat from Foreign Minister Sforza that he and
other cabinet members would resign if such a decision were carried out. Assuming
loss of Cyrenaica, Italy still wishes to participate in administration of the other colonies,
despite the fact that the Government will have difficulty in securing the funds to
administer them.
As regards Tripolitania, Italy will be dissatisfied with any disposition other
than outright return. Several other proposed solutions, however, would probably be
accepted, though with varying degrees of reluctance, by the Italian public. One,
reflecting a desperate effort of the Italian Government to provide itself with a compro-
mise solution which would not too greatly sacrifice its prestige or colonial desires, and
advanced by certain Italian experts on colonial problems, envisages the formation of a
semi-independent Arab state of Tripolitania which would have close economic and politi-
cal ties with Italy. Another proposal, favored by certain US colonial experts, would be
the provision to Italy of an emigration outlet in Tripolitania through US trusteeship.
Italians might, in fact, welcome US participation in the government of North Africa as
providing additional security for the Mediterranean area.
5
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"ocrText": "The favorable attitude already expressed by France toward the return to Italy\nof its former colonies has been one of the factors in improving relations between the\ntwo countries. Another is the promise of the French Government to improve the work-\ning conditions of Italian emigrant labor in France. A Franco-Italian customs union,\nlong-discussed, now seems somewhat closer to realization. Despite a previous French\nAssembly adverse vote, the French Government may still consider a readjustment in\nItaly's favor of the Italo-French boundary provided by the Peace Treaty. Furthermore,\nmany Italians welcome, as a recognition of equality, various evidences that France\n(along with the US) favors Italian participation in a western alliance.\nIn contrast to Italy's improved relations with the US and France, its attitude\ntoward the UK has become embittered by British claims to trusteeship over Cyrenaica\nand British opposition to the return to Italy of most of the other former Italian colonies.\nSome Italians have also resented the earlier British opposition to Italian entry into\nan Atlantic Pact, although this resentment will probably be diminished by the decision\nof the Western Powers to invite Italy to participate therein.\n10019\nc. Colonies.\nUltimate disposition of the colonies will have some bearing on the willingness\nof the Italian people to support fully a western military pact. Italy, basing its claims\non the assertion that the colonies were acquired before the advent of Fascism, would\nlike to have them returned, partly for reasons of prestige, partly because of fancied\neconomic gain, and partly because of their supposed usefulness as an outlet for the\nsurplus population. Wide sections of the press and various nationalist pressure groups\nassiduously keep colonial aspirations alive. Though any disposition short of full\nreturn to Italian control would bring an adverse Italian reaction, most Italians are\nprobably reconciled to eventual UK control of Cyrenaica. On the other hand, the\nmere report that the US and UK favored awarding most of Eritrea to Ethiopia elicited\nmuch popular bitterness as well as a threat from Foreign Minister Sforza that he and\nother cabinet members would resign if such a decision were carried out. Assuming\nloss of Cyrenaica, Italy still wishes to participate in administration of the other colonies,\ndespite the fact that the Government will have difficulty in securing the funds to\nadminister them.\nAs regards Tripolitania, Italy will be dissatisfied with any disposition other\nthan outright return. Several other proposed solutions, however, would probably be\naccepted, though with varying degrees of reluctance, by the Italian public. One,\nreflecting a desperate effort of the Italian Government to provide itself with a compro-\nmise solution which would not too greatly sacrifice its prestige or colonial desires, and\nadvanced by certain Italian experts on colonial problems, envisages the formation of a\nsemi-independent Arab state of Tripolitania which would have close economic and politi-\ncal ties with Italy. Another proposal, favored by certain US colonial experts, would be\nthe provision to Italy of an emigration outlet in Tripolitania through US trusteeship.\nItalians might, in fact, welcome US participation in the government of North Africa as\nproviding additional security for the Mediterranean area.\n5"
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