ITALIAN-AMERICANS ORGANIZE TO DEMAND ALLIED STATUS FOR ITALY

Created: 4/6/1945

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

FOREIGN

MEMORANDUM

UNITED STATES

SEPVICES BRANCH

IN THE

NATIONALITY GROUPS

THE DffiECTOR OF HAl ITIES

Apr

I TAL lAN-AMEfrl CANS ORGANIZE TO DEMANO ALLIED TALY

The can community hasthe shock of the apparent failure toconsideration to Italy at Yalta"unftedn of Italy as The immediate goal la representation Italy at San Francisco. committeesinto action and srs conducting a pe'gn of pressure for these objectives the President, merbers cf Congress and Oepartment of State Prom nentera Crossing traditional polities'

lines towith Communists and ant*-C< nists organized iarival carps.

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aggressive and comprehensive naturerusade to secure Allied status for Italy and Italian representation at San Francisco is bet grain apparent from the diverse character of the individuals and organize

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involved The Cornvnist-ldel Popolo hes deviated from previous position of unqualified approval of Yalta to join with once pro-Fascist elements in theonservative mass-mem beorganizotions and conservative political wd^professional figures have

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over-run traditions partlsar lints Ic covpertt*lk the lefLrst^ree Italy American Labor Council and thena* Workers' Orderew organization, theS^Coordineting Council for the Recognition of Italy as anival labc bcly. theed Itel ijn-Zy-ericen Laoor Council, has in iti turn setcrariUes*-to pitch for tht same ends and has received the uppert of^the once prc^FascistNf^ctfreaso /tnio-^fferlcnno and its publisher Gerwrosovrope as weil as that of the traditional ly anti-Fascist^JHazzmi Society. Indicative perhaps of theof the conservatives to cooperate with any group working for Kalian recognitionhe fact thai conservative leaders in the Coordinating Council gave tRe^Antonini Conrnittce permission to use their names in an appeal addressed to the President and the Sicretary of

The upheaval in the Italian comunity haso'it'ta) .nlermingl mg wn:ch leaves as yet no clear pattern etional lines andre still fluid. Thus the recently forniec^pnrnittee for National Unity, largely Socialist-sponsored. hav<ng reorganizedew name, has piedged Its support to both the Coordinating Council and the Joint Conmittee.

s Other organizations working independently of the Joint Committee and the Coordinating Council but along thces incltde Don Slurzo's^Rfcristian democratic People and Libertyeieroso Pope' sXVolumbus Day Citizens Corrrnittee.ormer pro-Fasost "front-organization,of Italian-American Democratic Organizations, in the State of Kew York.

Despite the unity regarding objectives, however, the two rest energetic forces in the Italian community. theNJtalian-Amcrican Labor Council and the Free Italy American Labor Council, remain in opposition to one another. Unity

talks (described innder thetalian

American Labor Leaders Seek fonwlt forof ail Factions"! broke down, as was foreseen, over ihe Issue of cooperation with the Communistsn securing fe signatures of leaders of the Free Italy-supported Coordinating Council, is being parried by the Free Italy Councii with en announcement of plans to "expose and prevent the spread of divisive tactics of the opposition

Hell before organizational activities had ,

Press0miSSion of ,laly from thef nations ,n"

Demands Alliedto San Francisco hadarrage of pro

test Before long the Italian-American press from

R.ght to Left was demanding recognition of Italy as an Ally. The pace-maker

among the nationwide paperseneroso Pope's "rofressoeanc of

Yorl* largest of Ita' ler.-lAnouase dui'ies Fc lowing sustamea editor.a'

ri'ticism. the paper (f2 MarchJront-page box demanding Allied

status for Italy, which has since appearedin English and Italian A

typical one. captioned "When Is An A'ly Anead.

Webster's New Internationa) Dictionary defines an Ally as associated with anothera helper; an auxM.ary " In every MAS*thla definition Italy . our Ally ..

Onarch the Protresso initiated another dailyorm letter in Italian and English to be sent to Representatives and. Senators eppea*tng to the* o everytb ng-heir power "to have our Governmenttayan AMy Thenigned ed-toria.arch. Generoso Pone called

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uoon Italian-American oroanizetienshe country lo act inf Italy.

let your organ iiet ion et Its next Reelingesolution urging our Guveinaant toiaraediMc recognition to Ita'j es an Ai'y of trie United States ifMeting, is too far off,pecie' Meeting or have your extcutivt boardesolution..nd please do not atop there, try to win support for thi* urgent actionall other Aaa)r'Cant regerd'en. of their lineage

talian personalities in this country.

Don UigK-Sturzo was among the first to call forfor Or

campaign on Italy's behalf. alk with

. he founder ofian

Democratic movement expressed his bitter disappointment that "the Italyhas been fighting for onealf ye^rs'-cn the side of the democracies had nmA beer, "well recognized and justly appreciated by the AmericanHe opined that the American-press, into its positive attitude reaerdmg trie re-emergence of France, had beef, almostabout Italy, Writing in the Mazzini Society's oroanXjorionion Sturzo cc^raended those Italian-Americans who were organizing and insisting "that Italy be invited to San

Don Sturzo appears to be lending the prestige of his name to all groupssave those with former pro-Fascist affiliationsirging allied status for Italy He told this Branch recently of his efforts tonified campaign It was at his suggestion, he said, that the Christian Democratic People and Liberty group onebruary hadessage to President Roosevelt appealing for Allied status for Italy and for representation at San Francisco. Subsequently.

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and Libertyio->eCnthonynd carriedumier ofpapers, calling for unity among Italian organizations tond

7he activities of local cormittees in suchof the

large Italian concentration as Ch-caco. Boston.

Philadelphia. Rochester, and Detroit are being

promoted by two newly-organized roof organizations with headauarters in New

eftist-conservative coa1ition group. tn* 'Coordinating Council for

ihe Recognition of Italy As An Ally."and

'Joint.Committee.' Both groups hope to muster the over-ell strength of

talian-Americans to secure Allied status for Italy before the

opening ofrancisco Conferex*.

The two committees came into be.ng after atterls to reconcile the

AMonini-sponsored Itaiiaa Ar-jr-car: jbor Council (AR] and the^Be! lanca-

Baldanz* Free Italy American Labor Cour.iil (CIO) had come to nought.

There was the issue of Cotraunist participation and there was the Question of

whether to admit prominent former pro-Fascists. Failure to settle either

poW left the field and the in.Uatve open to otler leaders. .

Independently of thisumber ofI nit

Italian-American political and professional leaders

had been engaged in the formationational committee to supportVito^warcantonio's Resolutiontroouced in the Houseebruary) calling for the recognition of Italyull-fledged Ally. The itarcantonio Resolution had already received the support of the Italian branches of the Conmjnist-line International Workers' Order, and of the

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weekly DM to. dblut the h* solution was oeirg supponeJ tcoumber of the State locges ofof thef Italy, tne'^rdertalian Sons and Daughters o; Africa of Pennsylvania, the^Columbianof Societies, and other local Ita ian-Ameocan conservative fraterna' and civic organizations Mayor Le Uiardia of Ne* York end EoVa rc*>Qorsare reported preparing to testilyt :r> Washingtonpril

In order to enlist wider urd more effective support for the Resolution, the "Coordinating Council for the Recognition of Italy As Anas launchedebruary with permanent ncoo^uarters in the Biltmore Hotel in New York It claimed at once edherefice of an overwhelming number of fraternal, social, civic, cultural, theatrical, end trade union organizations The Council is presently canvassing signatures for thousands of petitionsllied status for Italy reater relief aid for the Italian people

The Council's sxecailive aiard includes such eelMmoem Ital 'an-Arnsrican oersona'itics asors-. Industrial Comiof New Tori. Stale. JudgesBenvenoa and Louisof the Supreme Court of the State of New York; the industrialist, Paoli; Aln^rirtddjvPortfo! io. Treasurer ofthe City of New York. Peterorrection of the City ofk.professor at thc New School for Scue! fts^rch, khr.oNf inzillo presicent of the lulian brandies of therdugustand GwrgXpaldanzi of the Free Italy American Labor Council.inancial sub

ccnmittee is cwpased of Baidanzi. Portfc'io andomrr employee of the Office of War Information, was engageduH-tme secretary, and Mrs JimryCawo.of the well-known actor, as field organizer It is reported, moreover,umber of key leaders have pledged the support of their organizations Among

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these are Judge FeliVf^orte ofational Grand Venerable of the Order cf the Sons of Italy; Judge Eugene VN^Alessandroni of Philadelphia. Venerable of the Pennsylvania Grand Lodge of the Order of the Sons of Italy, andFrancisof He* York. Venerable of the New York Grand Lodge of the Order of the Sons of Italy and chairman of the United Societiesemocratic Italy,

According to reports reaching tri is Branch, the Free Italy American Labor Councilhief financial contributor to the Coordinating Council and this in turn is taken by the new Council to represent an earnest of more substantial CIO backing to come.

Concurrently. Luigi Antonini, in the name of his

Italian American Labor Council, had addressed

an appeal to *ell true liberals and democrats"ner at the Bilfnore Hotel on the evening ofarch for tie purposean Italian-American -Joint Cunmittee" topublic supportrepresentation at the San Francisco Conference. esolutionarch dinner and addressed to President Roosevelt and Secretary ofdeclared that failure to include itaiy at the world securityof the United Nations "will tend to vitiate the many efforts whichGovernment has been making for the establ .shrentorldorganization' and will be "an act of flagrant injusticeeopleour country has had many bonds of friendshipa people now doingpossible and bearing the most cruel burdens of war in order toover our commonAntonini, the committee which grew out oftmore dinner num.

bers among its leaders Justice Ferd.nare^ecora of the New York Supreme Court

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Or edical Examiner of the New York Municipal RetirementSamueKShore, vice president of the Internationa' Ladies Garment(AFL) and vice chairman of the Liberal Party- Among thealso present at the dinner was Ger.eroso Pope, who promisedthe unqualified support of his newspaper. The Joint Corrmtttee claims

tootal membership of. scattered in some fifteen leading Italian-American organizations ranging from conservetive fraternal, civic, and trade union groups to the national directorate of the liberal Uazzini Society.

Present plans of the Committee callemonstration in the form ofor cocktail reception for Senators. Representatives, and

officials, to be held in Washington some tine beWe the middle of April.

A detailed report of thearch meeting in<J!arch)that among the groups which signed the Joint Committee resolution,had already pledged adherence to the rival-Coordinatingof the Sons of Italy, the United Societies to Aid Democratic Italy, and

such individual leaders as Magistrate Giaccone. Edward Corsi. JudgeAmoroso. Paolino Gerli. and Almerindo Portfolio. eutralto this Branch that Antonini had invited the Coordinatingto join hire inne-shot propositionItalian representationFrancisco."

Free Italy American Labor Council, meanwhile, is actively

Independent

in furthering its own program of action independently

of the Coordinating Council, It is reportedroject enlarging the Council's activities was discussed by its executive board in conference

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inen onarch. The Council plans tooss rally in Madison Square Garden at an early date to demonstrate to "all Americans that the foreign-born American citizens and particularly all Italian-Americans support the Yalta decisions and the purpose of the San Francisco ConferenceIn addition, an "Actionn the formewsletter, is to be issued shortly "to expose and prevent the spread of the divisive tactics of the opposition" /Antoninj/. Finally, Council plans call for the designationlabor representative"'of its own to attend the San Francisco Conference; It is reported that the Council's executive board meeting onarch named George Baldanzi as the labor candidate.

Socialist Ortnntzntlon V. .

Vo Parpjg_announeed that as the result of ave

Onarch, an editorial in the Socialist weekly

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council called upon the United States Goverrnent "to recognize Italy as an-Ally and to use its influence to attain such recognition from the Allied Governments" Uo Paroto. arch). Subsequently, the United Societies pledged support to the program of both the Coordinating Council and to the Antonini-sponsored Joint Committee.

The "American Committee for the creedom ofewly-organized group in Detroit which was initiated by Valenti and had pledged support tooint Committee,assarch at which the following six-point program was adopted llied status forupport for the provisions of the Atlanticncreased relief aid to Italy; U) cessation of foreign intervention in Ita)ianuarantees of Italian territorialepresentation ofItaly at San Francisco.

Two other independent committees in New York have

resoluttons supporting Allied status for Italy

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and Italian representation at San Francisco. The Columbus Day Citizens Committee, an organization claiming totalian-Americans and organized last year to perpetuate the celebration ofctoberational holiday, met at the 8iltmore Hotel onarch. Headed by its permanent chairman, Generoso Pope, the Columbus Day Citizens Committee includes such personalities as Justice Pecora; Arithony^ampagna. member of the New York Board of Education,ao, Assistant United States Attorney General; New York City Councilmen Sairuen^dN^alco andand other figures prominent in New York municipal affairs. At thearchesolution was voted catling upon the United States Government to secure "full

justice'* for Italy's cause

Similar action has also re:ently been launched by an "action committee' of tbe Federation of Italian-American Democratic Organizations in the State of New York, an organization whose leadership was formerly tinged with pro-Fascist sympathies. The Federation is now circulating petitions for Allied status for Italy to be presented to thc President, the Congress, and the Department of State.

Departing in one respect from their original policy of

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unqualified endorsement of the Yalta decisions, Italian

Communists have been emphatically ca.-npaigr.ing for Italian representation at

San Francisco and support of the Marcantonio Resolution In regard to the

first objective, the weekly Bntta delarch) demanded the presence

at San Francisco of the new Italythe democratic Italy which is fight.ng

today for its own complete liberation and for the commonix million

Italian-Americans, the paper So<d, were uniting to demand recognition of Italy

and her admission to the security conference

v They arc not alone They have the aupport of aiM Ions ofwho fcnow how to distinguish between the ita'y ofthe new democratic recognition of ite'y as en

Ally and her participation at the Sen Francisco Conference willanother blow to react-on Open the Golden Gatetelyl- - .

anquet in New York onarch, celebrating the sixth anniversary of L'Unttn del Popolo. an intensive nation-wide petitioning campaign was launched byne organizations and leftist trade union groups calling for the "unity of all our forces"-behind the fcarcantonio Resolution 'so thai

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the recognitor of Italy pill be art imoorlant step in the interest of tat rice for a quick victory, peace, and stability.' Similar drives are reported to have taken place under Communist auspices in Philadelphia, Chicago, and other cities. hiladelphia succeededassfor the Marcantomo Resolution from some thirty-nine fraternal, civic, and trade union organizations-

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OfFICl Of STBITICtC Soviets

Original document.

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