865.01/581: Telegram

The Consul General at Algiers (Wiley) to the Secretary of State

1809. From Murphy. Our military mission in Brindisi reports that Sforza saw Badoglio on October 20th. Badoglio termed the meeting satisfactory and stated that Sforza had promised him full support.

Sforza called on our mission soon afterwards and began conversation by volunteering confirmation of Badoglio’s report. He went [Page 412] on to explain that by full support he meant that he would not at present at any rate join the government. He would use his influence to get the Italian people to follow the government if it was composed of “decent” people. If anyone were to ask him whether or not to join the government he would advise them to follow their conscience.

He thought that there could be no question of any change of regime at present. That question could only be put when Italy was freed and he would ask this openly at all times. But his frank opinion was that Badoglio would not be able to form a wide based government of outstanding political leaders so long as the King remained. The Crown Prince did not count and the proper solution in his view was a regency in favor of King’s grandson with Badoglio as one of the regents and possibly the Princess of Piedmont as another.

According to our military mission, Sforza was, or, at least, appeared, deeply affected by his meeting with Badoglio, who he said was a friend of long standing. The mission reports that it should be wary of Sforza giving Badoglio steady support as it should be at this stage of accepting as final the views he expressed on the question of the regime. He impressed our mission as not wholly disinterested and to have been in Italy too short a time to have decided where his best interest lies.

Sforza has so far refused to give any statement to the press and intends to stay at Bari for at least a few days to be at hand if needed before going on to Naples.

Repeated to Moscow for Dunn80 and to London. [Murphy.]

Wiley
  1. Mr. Dunn was attending the Tripartite Conference in Moscow, held October 18–November 1, 1943; for correspondence concerning the Conference, see vol. i, pp. 513 ff.