LETTER TO MR. VANNI B. MONTANA FROM ALLEN W. DULLES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01731R000300010148-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 29, 2003
• Sequence Number: 148
• Publication Date: February 14, 1959
• Content Type: LETTER

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6 February 1959
MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
SUBJECT : Suggested Reply to Letter from
Vanni B. Montana, Editor of "Giustizia"
VIA : Deputy Director (Plans)
T
1. This memorandum forwards a suggested reply
for signature of the Director to a letter received from
Mr. Vanni B. Montana, editor of "Giustizia".
Acting ie
Western Europe Division
2 Attachments:
Suggested Reply
Mr. Montana's letter
25X1
25X1
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GW$TIIZII
ITALIAN EDITION OF JUSTICE
Official Orgara of the
INTERNATIONAL LADIES' GARMENT WORKERS' UNION
January 29,919 9
Dear &* Dulles : -
Vanni B. Mpntana
EDITOR
I have written the enclosed article on the
complex Italian crisis. It will appear on all the different
language editions of the Free %!ade Union News of the AFL-CIO,
as well as on this papers "Giustizia".
It is to be hoped that the fundamental
mistakes made / th Ie talisn Section of the OSS and by
other
levex policy makers In Washington in regard to
17
i~ennits PSI, which I never regretted to have opposed, will
not be repeated once again .
You perhaps will remember that during the
vaar I was corre :onding frcia New York with Silone in
Swditt)*rland through your channel It seems
V
was misled by amateurish consuitents into opposing. and fighting
my views, and into favoring and helping actively communist
spfbnsored united fronts .
I trust you will find time and means to repair
the damages ? Wit kind rega]
LL /
V ni B. Montana
1710 MbPM1i*ir R2Ieab 03/tSR :1C A-INDPIOR0173f t000M0Qi1914 -Vdoo
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WHAT DOES NENNI REALLY 1 411
By Vanni Manua
C'7
Do the results of the Naples Congress of the Partit,Socialista
Italiaao (PSI) mean a positive forward step by its leader. Pietro Nonni,
toward brorad,sgng the basis of Italian democracy?
As far as appearance goes, it could be yes. Were appearance to
count more than substance, it might also be said that Communists are for
democracy,, since they often speak very loudly about constitutional rights
and freedom and never fall to parade behind the names of such great demo-
cratic figures as Lincoln and Jefferson in America, Garibaldi in Italyt or
Bolivar in South America.
But, N we look beneath the surface of the Naples Congress of the
P.S.I. L. it will be seen that Nonni and his friends actually did not make a
forward but a backward step. The "autonomy" proclaimed by the P.S.I.
in Naples from the Communist Party is not a new development. Its Con-
gress, hold in Venice, a couple of years before. did practically the same
thing.
Prior to the Venice Congress, Nonni and Giuseppe Saragat, leader
of the Italian Social Democratic Party (PSDI) had met in a summer resort
town, Prologn an, to arrange for the verging of the two parties, on a
democratic psis. free from all subordination to the Communist*.
At the Naples Congress, Nonni disdainfully rejected any idea of
dealing with the P.S.D.I. which -- despite its numerical weakness, lack
of strong organization at jruesgc.? financial means ?- has contributed the
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decisive margin which Italian democracy ended to safeguard Its newly-
gain" free institutions against Communist and Fascist attacks, and to
aintsin Italy's bonds with the free nations organised in NATO.
Not only did Nenat reject at Naples any Idea of merging with the
PSDI. but he directed the main fire at his colorful oratory against the
PSDI, the Christian Democrats and the other genuine democratic groups
rather thaat against the Communists.
The important test is whether or not a party or any other orgsniees-
tion helps Moscow's policies which are flexible in form to meet special
local situations. but which are rigid and firm in their purpose -- the weak-
ening of the free world, the destruetoa of democracy and its replacement
by worldwide Soviet despotism. It is not so much the kind of utterances
one hear* from the spokesmen of the PSI that counts as the practical work
it does.
The fundamental points of Communist policy in Italy are:
I.
(C.
within the Confederasione ftaltans Generale del Lavoro
.) which is the central labor body completely r dominated by the
Z. Unity in the Cooperative Alliance. a central body coslb ing
thousands of cooperatives, and tightly dominated by the Communist Party.
3. Unity and cooperation between Communists and the P. S. 1. In
the thousands of municipal and provincial governments, as well as strength-
ening the unprincipled united fronts in the regional governments of Sicily
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-3*
sts. P.5.I., Fascists, Monarchists and insurgent
Christians, Democrats .
4. kited fronts in other mass organisatteas ?. Women's League.
sport, etc. , etc.
S. one of the main aims of the Moscow-led Italian Communist
Party is to dominate Southern Italy and the great islands of Sicily And
Sardinia
ore strategic importance in the Mediterranean, sea connect
ing three continents -? Europe, Africa and Asia -? is veery, clear. These
parts of Italy are largely depressed areas. The Communist Party has
built a special united front organisation ?'Cornitato del Ma sogiorno". whose
task is to win political domination of Southern Italy and its islands. The
Naples Congress of Nenni's P.S.I. strongly endorsed this Committee.
"Theoretically", Nand again proclaimed the "autonomy', the "in-
dependence" , of the P. S. 1. from the Communist Party. But, in practice.
he cemented once again the unity of action and common alms with the
Communist Party in all these vitally important fields.
This is not all. In regard to foreign policy, Nenni's formula
adopted at the Naples convention calls upon Italy to be outside the "two
blocs" . It is said that this is neutralism of the Nasser kind, But the posi-
tion. of Italy is very different from that of Egypt. Italy is not in Africa.
Italy is part of Western Europe and the shield of Western Europe.
tug Italy, is the Atlantic Alliance. Deprived of this shield. Italy would be-
come an easy prey of Communist maneuvers which are moving definitely
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in the direction of deals with the 'sscists and some greedy industrialists
who was' to do business with Russia and its satellite.
The tarantella and the serenades played around Nomis during the
war and right after the war, have again bean renewed in the last couple
of years. The net result of helping Nonni during this period was that the
Italian trade unions, the Italian Socialist Movemsent, the Cooperative
Organizations and other mass organisations became part of the Communist
Party empire or orbit within Italy. Among those who supported these
Co
uvers there were undoubtedly some who thought they were
cy. But they were building on the utterly false blueprints
of the so- called united front.
The practical results of the renewed tareentella and serenades are
clear:--All genuine Italian democratic parties ..- from the Liberal to the
Christian Democrat, from the Social, Democrat to the Republican -- find
on in crisis. The fall of the Fanfani cover
t is only a climactic
phase of the crisis caused largely by tho impact of the Moscow-directed
Communist maneuvers in Italy and the gullibility of those falling for them.
In the now crisis created by the P.S.I. Naples Congress, Giuseppe
Saragat has been showing determination and courage in resisting the latest
tricky and sinister Nonni maneuvers. Should disloyalty develop in his
party, he would be fully justified in speedily taking the firmest measures
to protect the democratic Socialist Party organization and future.
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It to the opinion of this waster that the leaders of the Italian Liberal
lP'air-w P.L.I.) Are also responsible for the dangerous situation now in the
making. Their rigid opposition to the urgently needed reforms has led some
sectors Of the Christian Democratic Party, of the P.S.D.I.. of the Republican
Party, to look to the "left"', Axed it is is this so-called Left where Palmtaro
Togliatti, head of the Italian Communist ftrty, has never stopped fishing
with several rods and lines, with different hooks and bait, to lure the differ-
at fish he wants to catch. Were the Italian. Liberal Party to be move open-
laded and realistic in its attitude toward the social aspirations of the
Italian workers and pFeasaeants, the solidarity and a ooperaaation amore the
genuine democratic forces of the Italian Republic would be .re-established
an a broader and firmer foundation.
what is greatly needed is not only a common denominator for liberty.
but also a common denominator for social justice. To help the P. S .I .. to
serenade Nennit and his typo of readers, to approve, applaud or even excuse
its policies can only result in destroying the free Italian trade unions.
y weakening NATO, and ultimately preparing the crucifying and burial
of Italian democracy without any further hope for resurrection. That is the
goal and inevitable outcome of the "new" Nonni course. No "criti-
cal" Communist phrases and no bypocritca,l Maui claims to the contrary can
dater or defeat this logic of events.
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 Vann3. Be Montana
MITALIAN DRESS & WAISTMAKERS' UNION
r~ K LOCAL 89, 1. L. G. W. U-
218 WEST 40TH STREET
NEW YORK 18, N. Y.
357
Mrs Allen Danes
Personal
ILg10.
Box 1513
attenti.on,
ilea Be
Washington s D 9 0.
2 830 ~A Z