-3-                             
 
should be promptly cared for as it had received worldwide attention and   
the national reaction to taking action there would be very helpful to   
encouragement of faith in the government. I inquired whether it were not   
desirable to readjust the populations in these ruined places so that they   
might be more conveniently situated to the occupations in which they would   
normally be engaged to which he replied that that would not be possible at   
the moment because the relocation of populations was a question for   
subsequent careful study and that the innnediate concern should be to   
house them in the locality with wich they were accustomed and where their   
opportunities to subsist would be promoted rather than to move into a new   
locality and among strange people where they might find it more difficult   
                        to subsist.                         
 
                                                            
 
 
4. The question of transportation by sea was next discussed, the Prime   
Minister feeling that at the end of the war Italy should not make the   
mistake that it did after the last war. He stated that on that occasion   
Italy began a very active shipbuilding program at a time when there were   
too many ships already in being in the world, and that it was his hope   
that after this war there could be released to Italy an adequate merchant   
marine which would avoid further oversupplying the world with ships and he   
looked to our country to make some satisfactory provision for Italian   
shipping. This led to the question oi immediate water transportation which   
I raised as related to the bringing of provisions and other supplies from   
Spain, Portugual and African ports to Italy, it being a shorter haul than   
from America or elsewhere and requiring less ships for such a short haul.   
He proved to be very much interested in that subject and he and his   
cabinet are going to make a careful study of it. In regard to the   
provision of wheat, the Prime Minister indicated that there was adequate   
wheat in Italy at the present time to see the country through to January   
on the 300 gram unit basis, the present basis being 200 grams. As winter   
approaches the higher basis would seem to be essential for the   
preservation of health and perhaps life. The problem therefore is to bring   
to Italy wheat or flo~r or both in adequate quantities so that the period   
beginning January i until the next crop season in Italy will be provided   
for. He indicated in response to a question that~ the flour milling   
capacity of the country was adequate to convert the present wheat crop   
into flour. This is encouraging because it indicates that the mechanical   
equipment for this particular purpose has not been as badly injured as had   
                     been anticipated.                      
 
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