750G.00/1–2854: Telegram

No. 166
The Ambassador in Italy (Luce) to the Department of State 1
top secret

2283. Limit distribution. Del Balzo and Casardi told Durbrow today that Italian Government desired to reiterate its basic position regarding the coming soundings with Yugoslavs on February 2.

Del Balzo stated he hoped US Government clearly understood that, as had already been explained in Embassy telegram 2088 January 7,2 Italian Government reserved the right to consult with the French Government as well as US and UK Governments after the Italian Government had been informed of the results of these soundings. In other words, Italian Government wished to be in a [Page 372] position to express its opinion as to what it felt should be done after the result of the soundings are known, and it should be in a position to express its opinion whether it considered it possible to move forward with the full procedure proposed to me by Pella on December 24 (Embassy telegram 1983 December 243).

Durbrow stated that this point of view of the Italian Government had already been made clear to the Department. Nevertheless, Del Balzo stated that he wished particularly to reiterate the point.

Luce
  1. Repeated for information to London, Paris, Belgrade, and Trieste.
  2. Document 159.
  3. Document 156.