The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-01-04

but it can be revealed that PreSi- dent Roosevelt has given definite Instructions that the Italian peo- pie must get more food and be encouraged to take a greater part in the war. He believes a we'll fed people do not become a com munistic people.
 The British, however, have
 opposed anything more than
 subsistence feeding. Actually
 the debate over this has see
 sawed secretly back and forth
 over a period of many weeks,
 and probably gets tO the root
 of the basic difference between
 British and American policy in
 the Mediterranean.
 At one point during the ar- gument. Lord Halifax handed the State Department a confidential 'aide memOire," considered by diplomats something of a Scorch- CT and warning Of "a grave dan ger of divergence" which would ''haVe far-reaching consequences for the whole settlement of Eu- rope"
 This "aide memOire" is inter preted by many diplomats to set the stage for future British pol icy in the Mediterranean. Hith- erto unpublished, it states:
 If the U. s. Government were to indicate it's intention of eX- banding the scale under which Italy can receive supplies, there would be grave danger of di- vergence of policy between the U. s. Government on theh one hand and His Majesty's Government and our Allies on the other hand.
 Such a divergence would be bound, in the view of H, M. Gov ernment, to have lar-reachin9 consequences for the whole settle mcnt of Europe. Furthermore, British public opinion would not at the present time permit of II. M. Government associating them selves in the rehabilitation of Italy expect to the limited degree necessary for the actual war ei- fort.
 "ShOuld the U. $. Government decide to take an independent course, public pressure would all most certainly force II. M. Gov ernment to take their own posi- ton clear and the divergence in
 poIIHy which II. M. Govern ment fOreSee would immediately become open and obvious.
 III. M. Government therefore greatly hopes that the U. c. Gov- ernment will be prepared to give consideration to the views eX- pressed above and will not take any unilateral action from which the British public might compel them to dissociate themselves" >" ROOSEVELT OPPOSES BRITISH
 This note was delivered just be- fore Roosevelt conferred with Churchill at Quebec last Septem- Der. And despite this blunt memo, the President went coun- ter to British wishes by ordering Assistant Secretary of State to press for a $50, GOO 900 UNRRA grant for relief to Italy, by send ing Ambassador Myron Taylor to tEe Vatican to get Church assist ance in distributing food supplies, and finally by sending personal responsibility for increasing the Italian ration.
 He also authorized General Will liam ODWyer, former Brooklyn prosecutor to keep working on an 8-point program for the rehabili- tation of Italy.
 Insiders say that ROOseVelps
 determination 10 give Italy more
 inspiration for cooperating in
 the war was one of the back
 ground reasons why Prime Min
 ister Churchill got sore at Count
 SfOrZa. also why FDR in turn,
 authorized Stettinius to issue his cryptic statement opposing Bri-
 tish interference on SfOrZa.
 A showdown and possible so.u- ton of the entire Allied contro- yersy over Italy is expected soon. STETTINIUS' DETECTIVES
 Churchill still appears to be boiling mad owed publication in this column of his instructions