DEPARTMENT OF STATE Memorandum of Conversation
Date: March 29, 1949
Subject:
Participants: Count Sforza, Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs The Italian Ambassador The Secretary Mr. Hickerson, EUR Mr. Dowling, SWE
Copies to: U, G, NEA, AF, SWE
At the end of his call this afternoon, Count Sforza referred to the disposition of the former Italian colonies, which is to be decided at the April session of the General Assembly. He said that he had never been interested in colonies, but that he was very much interested in the development of Africa. European stupidity, he said, had permitted a large part of the Far East to be lost to the West in the sense that this area could no longer be counted upon for world cooperation, and he felt it all the more important that Africa not be lost also. This means that Africa must be developed wisely and well, and he felt the Italian people were best able to provide the technical and physical effort which this development would require.
Sforza added that in addition to his own ideas on this subject he had had to keep in mind, as Foreign Minister, the attachment of the Italian people to their former possessions in Africa. He had already taken a stand, publicly as well as in the Italian Government, in favor of British trusteeship for Cyrenaica, basing his arguments on British strategic requirements and the general defense of the Mediterranean area. He thought Italians generally would accept this solution, in spite of strong nationalist and Communist propaganda against it, provided solutions for the other areas were not too unsatisfactory.
In conclusion, Sforza said he hoped very much that agreement could be reached on this subject by the US, UK, France and Italy. He felt it would be particularly fortunate if such agreement could be reached before the beginning of the General Assembly debate.
In reply, I said I agreed with him that it would be much better for all of us if we could find a mutually satisfactory answer to this difficult question. I added that I would keep his comments in mind.
EUR:SWE:WCDowling:smw