U.S. Efforts to Support Democratic Forces in Italy and to Reduce the Power of the Communist Party; U.S. Attitude Toward the Italian Government’s Possible “Opening to the Left”1
1. Continued from Foreign Relations, 1952–1954, vol. VI, Part 2, pp. 1565 ff.
91. Telegram From the Embassy in Italy to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 110.11–DU/10–2555. Secret. Repeated to Paris.
92. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, November 30, 1955
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 033.6511/11–3055. Secret. Drafted by Freund and Engle on December 9.
On November 16, the Department of Defense announced that Defense Minister Paolo Emilio Taviani, would visit the United States November 28–December 7. In telegram 1847 from Rome, November 23, Ambassador Luce informed the Department of State that Taviani was very anxious to see the Secretary of State during his visit to discuss the Middle East and conditions in Western Europe. Luce recommended that the Secretary agree to a meeting. (Ibid., 033.6511/11–2355)
93. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, November 30, 1955
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 865.062/11–3055. Confidential. Drafted by Engle on December 5.
94. Letter From the Ambassador in Italy (Luce) to the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Merchant)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.65/12–155. Top Secret; Official–Informal.
95. Report Prepared by the Operations Coordinating Board
Source: Department of State, OCB Files: Lot 62 D 430, Italy. Top Secret. A Financial Annex is not printed. A covering memorandum from the OCB Secretariat Staff, February 14, notes that the OCB concurred in this report for transmittal to the National Security Council on January 4, 1956, and that the NSC noted the report on February 9. See Document 98.
96. Memorandum From the Director of the Office of Western European Affairs (Jones) to the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Merchant)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 765.00/1–1156. Secret. Drafted by Engle and Freund.
97. National Intelligence Estimate
Source: Department of State, INR–NIE Files. Secret. An attached chart showing the party composition of the Italian Chamber of Deputies as of January 1, 1956, is not printed. According to a note on the cover sheet, “The following intelligence organizations participated in the preparation of this estimate: The Central Intelligence Agency and the intelligence organizations of the Departments of State, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and The Joint Staff. Concurred in by the Intelligence Advisory Committee on 7 February 1956.”
Another note on the cover sheet indicates that NIE 24–56 was a supplement to NIE 24–54, “Probable Developments in Italy,” November 16, 1954. (Department of State, INR–NIE Files)
98. Memorandum of Discussion at the 276th Meeting of the National Security Council, Washington, February 9, 1956
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records. Top Secret. Drafted by Gleason on February 10.
99. Briefing Paper Prepared in the Department of State
Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles–Herter Series. Secret. No drafting information appears on the source text. The source text is undated but it was transmitted to the President by Secretary Dulles as an attachment to a February 25 memorandum dealing with arrangements for the State visit of President Gronchi.
100. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the President and the Secretary of State, White House, Washington, February 27, 1956, 4 p.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, Meetings with the President. Secret; Personal and Private. Drafted by Dulles.
101. Memorandum for the Record of a Conversation Between President Eisenhower and President Gronchi, White House, Washington, February 28, 1956, 12:45 p.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Memoranda of Conversation. No classification marking. A memorandum attached to the source text, March 1, by John W. Hanes, indicates that the only written record kept of the Eisenhower–Gronchi meeting were informal notes by a military aide to President Eisenhower (presumably this memorandum). Hanes stated that the Italians had alleged after the meeting that the President made encouraging statements to Gronchi concerning the latter’s desire to expand the powers of his office. Hanes stated that Colonel Goodpaster checked the notes, found that the President had much no such remarks, and noted that the Secretary might wish to request a copy of the notes in the event of future questions. A March 12 memorandum from Goodpaster, attached to the source text, states that a copy of the minutes was being sent to Dulles and Hoover only and was to be returned if they did not wish to retain it. A March 12 note from Hoover’s office attached to the source text states that the Secretary’s copy carried an “eyes only” classification and was to be filed with the Secretary’s files and not made a part of the Department of State files.
102. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Secretary of State and George Meany, President of AFL–CIO, Department of State, Washington, February 28, 1956
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 765.00/2–2856. Confidential. Drafted by Hanes.
103. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, February 29, 1956, 7 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199. Confidential. Drafted by Elbrick.
104. Memorandum of a Conversation, White House, Washington, March 1, 1956, 9 a.m.
Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199. Confidential. Drafted by Elbrick.
105. Memorandum of a Conversation, Italian Embassy, Washington, March 1, 1956
Source: Department of State, Italian Desk Files: Lot 58 D 357, 131 Gronchi Visit. Official Use Only. Drafted by Luce on March 6.
106. Telegram From the Embassy in Italy to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 761.00/3–2356. Confidential. Repeated to Paris, Belgrade, London, and Moscow.
107. Telegram From the Embassy in Italy to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 765.00/4–556. Confidential. Repeated to Paris, Moscow, London, Belgrade, and Bonn.
108. Telegram From the Embassy in Italy to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 765.00/4–556. Confidential. Repeated to Paris, Moscow, London, Belgrade, and Bonn.
109. Letter From the Ambassador in Italy (Luce) to the Director of the Office of Western European Affairs (Jones)
Source: Department of State, Luce Files: Lot 64 F 26, Offshore Procurement. Confidential. Drafted by Jernegan.
111. Letter From the Chargé in Italy (Jernegan) to the Director of the Office of Western European Affairs (Jones)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 765.00/6–2656. Top Secret; Official–Informal.
112. Telegram From the Embassy in Italy to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 765.00/7–656. Secret. Repeated to London, Paris, Moscow, and Belgrade.
115. Memorandum of a Conversation, White House, Washington, August 10, 1956
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.65/8–1056. Confidential. Drafted by Elbrick.
117. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, August 27, 1956
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 765.00/8–2756. Confidential. Drafted by Torbert on August 29.
118. Letter From the Ambassador in Italy (Luce) to the Secretary of State
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers. Secret; Official–Informal; Personal and Private.
119. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Italy
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 765.00/9–756. Secret. Drafted by Torbert and approved and signed for Dulles by Elbrick. Repeated to Belgrade, Bonn, Brussels, The Hague, London, Moscow, Paris, Stockholm and Vienna.
120. Telegram From the Embassy in Italy to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 765.00/9–256. Secret; Priority. Repeated to London, Paris, Bonn, Brussels, Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, and The Hague.