840.50 Recovery/3–1648: Telegram

The Ambassador in Italy ( Dunn ) to the Secretary of State

1165. Several Rome papers March 16 report McDermott’s1 statement on continuation of ERP shipments to Italy should Communists win elections.2 All reports something at variance with radio bulletin version of McDermott’s remarks.3 Saragat Socialist Umanità and Independent Rightist Tempo, in similar dispatches, quote McDermott as stating that if in elections Italians vote Communist it will not benefit [Page 854] further from economic help from United States. Both say McDermott stated that PCI had signified it did not wish ERP and therefore if Communists win “the United States will suspend all assistance to Italy.” Tempo features article in middle of front page with large headline “America Will Suspend Aid If Front Wins Elections.” Umanità prints item in inconspicuous back page report headlines “Grave American Declaration. No Help To Italy In Event Of Communist Victory.” Tempo and Messaggero also publish McDermott’s denial that President Truman has given me special powers to order marines to Italy if Communist coup seems imminent before election. Independent Conservative Messaggero in conspicuous front-page article headlined “America Will Suspend All Aid If Communists Win In Italy” says that while McDermott statement regarding aid refers only to Marshall Plan it has been learned from “authoritative sources” that Communist government in Italy would not receive aid of any kind from US. Leftist Paese in small page four article reports McDermott’s statements regarding aid in article entitled “Electoral Maneuver. No More American Aid To Italy In Case Of Communist Victory.” After reporting McDermott’s statements on aid, however, Paese says it has learned from other sources that Republican circles opposing Truman’s policy have other plans and that in event of victory of Front, economic and commercial relations with Italy would not be ruptured or slowed down.4

Dunn
  1. Michael J. McDerrnott, Special Assistant to the Secretary for Press Relations.
  2. The “Memorandum of the Press and Radio News Conference, Monday, March 15, 1948, 12:30 noon” reads as follows:

    “Mr. McDermott …

    Q. There was a story in the New York Times by Sulzberger—

    A. I saw that John.

    Q. It says that the United States is going to make some sort of an announcement of barring aid from Italy if the Communists take over.

    A. There is no such decision reached by the government of the United States. Cy Sulzberger says this Government will make an announcement and then I am saying this: No such decision has been reached by the Government of the United States. The story may well have originated from the Senate debate on ERP in the course of which the intent of the Senate was pretty clear. The Communists in Italy have said they don’t want ERP and if the Communists should win, which we cannot believe will be the case, knowing the spirit and feeling of the Italian people, there would be no further question of assistance from the United States.

    Q. The decision apparently was made to make the announcement. Who is making the statement?

    Q. This confirms the story.

    Q. This confirms the decision.

    Q. This makes the announcement.

    A. It is a comment on the story. It is not an announcement.

    Q. Mac, has not the Senate Bill made it clear—

    A. The reason I made it, there is a definite line of demarcation here. I have been asked about a question about a story written out of Paris and I just cannot let that story go without making an answer.

    Q. You mean you had no plans to issue this statement until we asked?

    A. This is not a statement. This is my answer to your question.

    Q. If the story had not been published, you would not have made this comment?

    A. Absolutely not. I am answering your question.

    Q. Is this a State Department answer?

    A. You can attribute it to me, if you want.

    Q. …”

    (Daily News Conferences—Office of the Special Assistant to the Secretary in Charge of Press Relations—Department of State, 111, 1948)

  3. In telegram 1189 of March 17, not printed, Dunn reported that the Communist organ, Unità, of March 17 stated: “USIS hurried yesterday to publish official text of declaration (State Department’s declaration) … on aid. In text it is affirmed ‘spokesman of State Department denied yesterday news from Paris according to which US Government intended to declare that American aid to Italy … would be interrupted if Communists won elections.’” (840.50 Recovery/3–1748)
  4. In telegram 1223, March 19, not printed, Dunn mentioned that McDermott’s statement had not been adequate to survive Communist distortion and forwarded a suggestion by Sforza for a new declaration by the United States along the following lines: “If the Communists were to come to power in Italy, in view of the declared opposition of the Communist-controlled countries to American assistance toward European recovery, the United States would reluctantly have to withdraw assistance to Italy in that case and apply its assistance to other non-Communist countries whose governments were cooperating in the efforts to provide economic improvement in Europe.” (840.50 Recovery/3–1948)