Memorandum from James Webb to President Harry S. Truman, with Attachments
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OCR Page 1 of 8&
SECRET
DEPARTMENT OF STATE
WASHINGTON
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
Prime Minister De Gasperi of Italy will visit
the
Washington at the invitation of the United States
s.s.
Government September 24 through 26. The purpose of
the visit is to demonstrate that Italy and the United
States are side by side as co-equals among the free
nations, especially those united in the North Atlantic
Treaty The visit will afford De Gasperi an opportunity
to meet criticism in Italy that he and his Government
have not been sufficiently aggressive in putting forward
Italy's policies and aspirations in her relations with
her Allies. National elections are due to take place
in Italy in early 1953. In local elections last spring
De Gasperi's Christian Democratic Party, itself plagued
by internal disagreements, lost some ground to other
anti-Communist Parties, while the Communist Party received
about one-third of the popular vote, as it had in 1948.
We consider De Gasperi the best qualified political
leader in Italy today. We therefore want to help him
strengthen his domestic position. His success in keeping
Italy aligned on our side depends on the extent to which
the Italians, a proud people, feel that we are with them
and count on them; that we are not using or abusing them
as second-class friends. His success in combatting the
Communists in Italy will depend in large part on continued
economic assistance from the United States, in part on
aggressive political action by anti-Communist Parties in
Italy.
Since becoming Prime Minister in 1947, De Gasperi
has firmly aligned Italy with the West, and has cooperated
closely with the United States, which is considered by
the Italians a.s Italy's staunchest friend. He is now
Foreign Minister as well as Prime Minister. De Gasperi
has tried to hold together coalition cabinets including
ther democratic
DECLASSIFIED
SECRED
Sec. 3.4(b)
Authority
85-2
By
C3
NLT Date
5/15/92
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