Evening star., 1945-04-12
ItaIian-Americans
Call for Recognition
Of Italy as Full Ally
By JOSEPH H. BAIRD.

A vigorous movement backed by
Italian-Americans for the recogni-
ton of Italy as a full ally and its in
vita ton to the San Francisco Secur-
ity Conference was under way today
following a dinner at the Mayf1ower
Hotel last night where number OF
labor leaders. Senators, jurists and
professional men spoke in its be-
half.
Repre- tive Marcantonio
American Labor party, of New York
planned to talk with Secretary OF
State Stettinius today In behalf o1
Italy. Meanwhile, the House For
eign Affairs Committee had before
it a resolution introduced by the
New Yorker providing for House
support of Italy's recognition as an
ally.
About 100 guests. including AS
sistant Secretaries of State James C
Dunn and Dean Acheson, attended
the dinner last night, where Nine
Carlo Roselli, widow of the Italian
democrat who was murdered by Fas-
cist agents outside Paris in 1887. was
introduced as a surprise speaker.
Draws Comparison.
Failure to accept Italy as full.
fledged ally and invite it to the
United Nations Conference is cry
ing injustice to those who died ir
the democratic cause" she charged
adding:
1T Is also an injustice to those
Italian soldiers who are now dying
side by side the heroes of the othel
Allies"
Luigi Antonini, chairman of tht
group of Italian American societie.
which sponsored the dinner, de.
clared that Italy was the first ma
ton to overthrow fascism ane
should be treated as an ally and no
a foe" Hitting at the expected
presence at San Francisco of sew
eral countries like Argentina which
declared war at the "l1th hour ht
said:
"Italy's declarat ton OF war was no
symbolic but real
William Green, president of thu
American Federation of Labor, tolt
the audience that the 700000(
members OF his organization wer'
solidly backing Italys claim to {
seat at San Francisco.
Senators Speak.
The AFL stands with you h,
said, and it is no small part of ou
population"
Senator Ferguson, Republican, 0
Michigan said he agreed with ,
statement Of Mr., Green that 'unles
the peoples of the world are repre-
sented at San Francisco, we viii
have no peace
Il believe" he added, that Italy
Poland and all the minority nation
should be there"
Senators Kilgore, Democrat, O
West Virginia; Wagner, Democra,
of New York; Mcmahon, Democrat
of Connecticut, and Reed. Repub
lican, of Kansas also spoke brief
in support Of inviting Italy to tax
part in Allied peace efforts.
However. Senator Wiley, Repub
lican, of Wisconsin reminded tn
group that the San Francisco Con
ference was merely the "openin
door" to series Of peace confer
ences and advised a policy of pa
tience He said that although h
personally favored inviting Italy t
the United Nations parley, he as
sumed that the State Department
had some reason for not doing SO.
He concluded with the assuranc
that Italy will not be forgotten"
Justice Ferdinand Pecora of New
York said the reason for Italy
present status was obvious - tn
fact that it had declared war OF
America. France and Great Britain
But he added, that action wa
not taken by the people of Italy, bu
by small group OF FaScists. w
should cut through legalism to tn
essence of fact. We should nc
blame the people OF italy for the &C
tion of the handful of men who con
stituted the Fascist government