NTATIVE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO 
 
 
                      January 22, 1945                      
 
                         MEMORANDUM                         
 
                                                            
 
 
It may be of interest to you to have a condensed view of the Italian   
        political situation as it now appears to me.        
 
                                                            
 
 
Prime Minister Bonomi, Foreign Minister de Gaspari, Under Secretary of   
Interior Mole, Signor Carandini, Italian Ambassador to London, Duke   
Gallarati-Scotti, Ambassador to Spain, the Crown Prince Umberto, the Duke   
d-Aosta, Count Sforza, former Under Foreign Secretary, Marchese Visconti-  
Venosta, and many others who call upon us at out home or who we meet on   
various occasions have all talked very fully but confidentially with me   
from time to time.  It would appear that in this moment of great national   
uncertainty the present day leaders seek some reliable person to confide   
the present day leaders seek some reliable person to confide in.  As a   
result, one might enumerate the principal differences in the political   
               situation somewhat as follows:               
 
                                                            
 
 
I.   About one half of Italy geographically is released from the Nazi-  
                         Fascists.                          
 
                                                            
 
 
II.  Less than one third of economic Italy has been so released.  The   
greater industrial, agricultural sections lie and north of the released   
                          portion.                          
 
                                                            
 
 
III. In a corresponding way the greater number of men in action, wealth,   
and with developed qualities for practical leadership live in the north.    
     These men are not generally speaking, politicians.     
 
                                                            
 
 
IV.  The activity of six principal political parties (and many other   
smaller groups said to be more than twenty) each ambitious to control the   
administration of government, renders compromise at the present time   
necessary for no one would combine against such one.  Italian compromise   
means a truce, each party awaiting its opportunity to gather adherants and   
to improve its position.  Reduce to broad terms the issue may ultimately   
prove to be a Christian Democratic party, a strong Royalist party and a   
strong Communist party.  Ultimately in a final test it is likely that the   
                     Christian Democrat                     
 
                          and the