I asked, "Do you speak American?" He said, "Yes, I do." I said, "That is very nice." So I started to speak to him in American to see how much he knew of our language and our country. He was neatly dressed. Thanks to this country, they have done a swell job for the prisoners of war. I said, "How do you like our country?" He said, "It is a lovely place. The people are wonderful. We could never fight America." So I said, "Now, were you in the various battles?" "Oh, yes," he said, "I was in the Battle of Sicily and all the battles up to Anzio." I said, "Tell me what happened that you suddenly became a prisoner." He said: Listen, we did not want war with this country. We have brothers here. We have relations here. The minute that the United States went to war against Italy, we decided that there was no more fight in us. The minute the American boys hit our shores, we turned right over to them. They are very grateful for what we are doing. I have asked some of our wounded boys what was the reaction of the Italian people as they went into these various towns over there, and they have said, "Bob, they are very wonderful to our boys. They are so happy. They feel they are right at home. They feel that we are their friends." It is very pitiful to see the condition of those families. The honor is gone. They are starving. Children are crying. Our American boys who had candy or food, gave it to those families so that it would make them happy. I do not have to go into the contributions of the Italian people to civilization. You are familiar with that—art, music, literature, and many other things. THE RESOLUTION WILL PRESERVE ITALY This resolution, if adopted, is going to prevent the dissolution of many parts of Italy. We know that when the victors get around the table many of them are going to decide to slice that country up, and in all fairness to those boys of Italian extraction whose mothers and fathers were born on the other side, they would feel very bad if we as a nation would sit at that victory table and allow the slicing of that country. We have believed in this country. We have believed in it firmly, and that is what has made it so easy for our boys to be victorious in Italy. I know the adoption of this resolution would make those people over there very happy and would help the morale of all those over there in trying to get them to fight a little harder to overthrow the Nazi voke. I do hope that this honorable body will see fit to pass this resolution. After hearing the arguments of the people who are here today, I know that you will go back into the House when this resolution is up before you and vote for the adoption of it. I do hope and pray that we will do a very good job so that we can be very happy, and the people of Italy will also be very happy and rejoice in the adoption of this resolution. Chairman BLOOM. We thank you very much. Mr. MARCANTONIO. We will now call upon Assemblyman Hamblet O. Catenaccio of the 18th District of New York. STATEMENT OF HON. HAMBLET 0. CATENACCIO, ASSEMBLYMAN, 18TH DISTRICT OF NEW YORK STATE Mr. CATENACCIO. I do not want to leave the misimpression that I am not of Italian descent because of the "O" in my name. There is a period after the "O." Mr. VORYS. Mr. Chairman, I would like to make the point of order that the House is in session on a very important bill. All who care to sit and hear this witness, or witnesses who have come from a distance, of course can do so informally, but I wish to make the point of order so that we will not proceed with action on this bill while some of us are missing. Chairman BLOOM. There will be no action on it, but I think that we have an opportunity to hear quite a few before we go down to answer the rollcall. The point of order will have to be recognized by the chairman. Mr. VORYS. I have made the point of order and have no objection to having the members remain if they wish to remain to hear the witnesses. Mr. CATENACCIO. I represent the State assembly of the community of East Harlem. The community of East Harlem is inhabited largely by people of Italian origin. I have had occasion to speak to many of the people of my community, particularly with reference to the resolution, as to just how they feel with reference to having the Italian Government recognized by the United States, and they have all shown an uplift in their morale and an uplift in their spiritual being. ITALY IS CALLED A DEMOCRACY Now, after reading the resolution itself, I think, if I may say so, that the premises are absolutely true. Premise No. 4 is truer today than it has been at any other time in the history of this war because, as we all know, in the last several days, there has been a new government formed in Italy, and we know that the head of the government, Ivanoe Bonomi, is truly the democratic head of government. He has been placed at the head of the government by the various political factions of Italy, so that whereas there may have been doubt before this, today, I repeat, it is more than ever so that Italy is well on its way to having a truly democratic form of government. Chairman BLOOM. Would you mind an interruption here? Have you a statement that you would like to put in the record? We would like to call on all these witnesses. The chairman would like to say that when the witnesses receive a stenographic report, they will be permitted to revise and extend their remarks. Mr. CATENACCIO. I do not have a prepared statement, but I can send one in. I will prepare a statement and send it in. LIST OF OTHER WITNESSES PRESENT Mr. MARCANTONIO. I do not believe there will be time to hear all the witnesses, but I would like the record to show that these witnesses are here, and that they go in record in support of the bill. It will take a few minutes to read the list of witnesses. Chairman BLOOM. In order to show the appearances, Mr. Marcantonio will read the list of witnesses. Because the House meets at 11 o'clock instead of 12, you will have an opportunity to send in your statements to the clerk. Mr. MARCANTONIO. I understand they may send statements to you so that you can put them in the record. [The list of witnesses referred to follows:] United Shoe Workers of America: Alfred LaMonte, U.S.W.A. Local 62, CIO. Santa Gioia, U.S.W.A., Business Agent, Local 60. John Rera, U.S.W.A., Business Agent, Local 129. Victorio Mazzei, Local 1225, U.E.R.W.A. Michael de Cicco, Council District No. 3, United Furniture Workers of America, CIO. Richard Mazzo, Manager, Local 76B, U.F.W.U.A., CIO. Jordan Pola, Local 1 Waiters and Waitresses Union, AFL (Board Member). Arduilio Susi, President, Chefs, Cooks Union, Local 89. AFL. Joseph Magliacano, Manager, Local 92, U.F.W.U.A., CIO. Frank Anillio, U.F.W.U.A. Local 140, CIO. Frank Benevenuto, Local 6, Hotel and Club Workers Union, AFL. Michael Garramone, President, Local 1, State-County-Municipal Workers Representative Joint Board of New York State, CIO. Patsy Rotevero, Division Director, Local 65, Wholesale Warehouse Workers Union, CIO. Italian-American Needle Trades Victory Committee: Frances Ribaudo, Secretary; Frank Milazzo; Bettina Furlo; Rosa Esposito; Mary Cacciatore; and Mary Tarantolo. American Labor Party Garment Center: Frances Ribaudo, Mary Cacciatore, Frank Milazzo, Antonio Iandiario, Fur Dyers Union-CIO Joint Board. Galliano Melli, Union Abruzzese (140 members), Philadelphia. Gaetano de Fazio, Order of Sons and Daughters of America. Nick Summa, Grand Council, IWO, Anthracite Coal Miners. Joseph M. Scarpella, National Vice President, Italian Sons and Daughters of America. Noe Maggietti, Amalgamated Clothing Workers, Local 56; Secretary, American Victory Committee of South Philadelphia. Maro D'Inzillo, Italian Section of the International Workers Order, President (11,000 members), International Workers Order (165,000 members). Gustav Caporali, Columbia Federation, Pittsburgh, Pa. Alberto Parodi, Federation of West Side Societies, New York City. Aurora Ferrucci. United Italian American Committee of New York. Joseph Altieri, New York State Grand Council, Italian-American Section, IWO. Vito Magli, East Harlem Italian United Societies. Mr. MARCANTONIO. I have several communications, one from Mr. Joseph Curran of the National Maritime Commission who sent Mr. Phillips here to represent him. I have a letter from Mr. Curran saying that he goes on record in favor of the resolution, and Mr. Phillips will submit a statement for Mr. Curran. [Whereupon the hearing transcript ceases and the committee apparently adjourned.] The committee met at 12 noon, Hon. Sol Bloom (chairman) presiding. Chairman BLOOM. The committee will come to order. We have under consideration House Joint Resolution 204,2 which is as follows: [The resolution referred to is as follows:] [H.J. Res. 204, 79th Cong., 1st sess.] Joint Resolution Requesting the President to use his good offices to the end that the United Nations invite Italy to be a signatory to the United Nations agreement Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the President of the United States be, and is hereby, requested to use his good offices to the end that the United Nations invite Italy to be a signatory to the United Nations agreement of January 1942. Chairman BLOOм. We have a letter from Acting Secretary Joseph G. Grew which I think should be read into the record. STATE DEPARTMENT'S POSITION Mr. JOHNSON. This is a letter from Acting Secretary of State Mr. Joseph C. Grew. It is dated June 23, 1945, and addressed to me since 1 Members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 79th Congress, 1945-46: Democrats: Sol Bloom, New York, Chairman; Luther A. Johnson, Texas; John Kee, West Virginia; James P. Richards, South Carolina; Joseph L. Pfeifer, New York; Pete Jarman, Alabama; W. O. Burgin, North Carolina; Wirt Courtney, Tennessee: Thomas S. Gordon, Illinois; Emily Taft Douglas, Illinois; James W. Trimble, Arkansas: Helen Gahagan Douglas, California; Joseph F. Ryter, Connecticut; Daniel J. Flood, Pennsylvania; Mike Mansfield, Montana. Republicans: Charles A. Eaton, New Jersey; Edith Nourse Rogers, Massachusetts; Robert B. Chiperfield, Illinois; John M. Vorys, Ohio, Karl E. Mundt, South Dakota; Bartel J. Jonkman, Michigan; Frances P. Bolton, Ohio; James W. Wadsworth, New York; Charles L. Gerlach, Pennsylvania; Lawrence H. Smith, Wisconsin; and Chester E. Merrow. New Hampshire. Boyd Crawford, Clerk. 2 Legislative history: May 24, 1945-Introduced by Mr. Marcantonio; July 10, 1945Hearing, ordered favorably reported: July 11, 1945-Reported, House Report 881 [See appendix II, p. 402]; Oct. 2, 1945-Stricken from the calendar. (393) I was acting chairman of the committee at that time, Mr. Bloom having been in San Francisco attending the conference. It reads: I refer to your letter of May 25, 1945 requesting the Department's comments on the joint resolutions introduced by Mr. Marcantonio, H.J. Res. 204 and H.J. Res. 205, which was acknowledged in my letter of May 31, 1945. H.J. Res. 205 requests the President to use his good offices to the end that the United Nations recognize Italy as a full and equal ally. In as much as this Government has no alliances outside of its ties with the United Nations, to recognize Italy as a "full and equal ally" could only mean permitting her to become one of the United Nations. This step, however, is covered by H.J. Res. 204 requesting the President "to use his good offices to the end that the United Nations invite Italy to be a signatory to the United Nations agreement of January 1942." This Government's policy has been to encourage the new democratic Italy to regain full membership in the international community. Much progress has already been made as witnessed by our present formal diplomatic relations with that country, and it is hoped that further progress will be made, especially now that all Italy has been liberated. You may be interested in the statement I made to the press concerning our Italian policy on May 31, a copy of which is attached for your convenience. I believe that the spirit of the resolutions in question is in keeping with the spirit of our policy as expressed in that statement. The Department has been informed by the Bureau of the Budget that there is no objection to the submission of this report. Chairman BLOOM. We have with us Mr. Vito Marcantonio. STATEMENT OF HON. VITO MARCANTONIO, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW YORK Mr. MARCANTONIO. I think that this letter speaks for itself. I have introduced several resolutions, but the resolution that I am urging is 204. As the Acting Secretary of State said, we cannot make any alliances except through the signing of the United Nations agreement of 1942, and the only way that Italy can be accepted into the family of the United Nations is by having her sign this agreement inviting her to sign. We cannot take unilateral action ourselves. This requires an invitation from the Big Four. This merely constitutes an expression of the U.S. sentiment on this question. In my opinion, it would aid the position of the United States in trying to bring this about with the other members of the Big Four. The State Department has said that this resolution, the spirit of it, is in keeping with the spirit of our policy toward Italy. I do not believe it is necessary for me to go into the reasons for it. I think those are pretty much accepted. It would not surprise me if it is raised at this meeting of the leaders of the United Nations which is about to take place. THE POSTWAR IMPORTANCE OF ITALY There is only one other reason that I want to urge. Up to now we have not expressed ourselves on this question. It is necessary in a postwar Europe to have the people of Italy on our side. If there are other nations that object to Italy becoming a member of the United Nations, certainly the United States should not take the onus of that. We should make our stand clear to the entire world so that the Italian people will know that here, in the United States, we have nothing but a feeling of friendship and desire to help them. |