Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1944, The British Commonwealth and Europe, Volume III

740.00119 Control Italy/60

The Delegation of the French Committee of National Liberation to the Department of State

[Translation]

No. 306

Washington, January 26, 1944.

Aide-Mémoire

The British Government has just given its consent to the admittance of a Representative of the Soviet Government and a Representative of the French Committee of National Liberation to the Allied Control Commission in Italy.

The War Department has likewise consented to the admittance of the Soviet Representative, but it has still reserved its reply with respect to the admittance of the French Representative.

The French Committee of National Liberation has felt keenly this difference of treatment. It deems that the very particular importance of Franco-Italian relations, and of the problems to be settled between France and Italy, give the Committee a right, at least equal to that of the other Governments represented on the Consultative Council for Italian Affairs, to participate likewise in the work of the Allied Control Commission. Substantial French forces are at present fighting in Italy at the side of the Allies. It would be scarcely conceivable that the French Committee of National Liberation, which is making these forces available to the Inter-Allied High Command, should not be immediately represented on the Allied Control Commission, which is at present the only organization qualified to enter into contact with the Italian authority and to follow up the questions to which the evolution of the military and political situation in Italy gives rise.

Acting on instructions of the Committee, the Delegate³³ in the United States of the French Committee of National Liberation has the honor to invite, in a very urgent manner, the attention of the Department of State to this question,³⁴ and it begs the Department to intervene to the end that the War Department may grant to our request, as soon as possible, the same equitable reception that the said request has received from the British authorities.

33. Henri Hoppenot.
34. In a letter dated February 11, the Department informed Mr. Hoppenot that instructions had been dispatched to the American representative on the Advisory Council for Italy stating that the Government approves the participation by a representative of the French Committee of National Liberation in the Allied Control Commission for Italy on the same basis as the Soviet representative (740.00119 Control Italy/61d).