The Pittsburgh Press (October 5, 1946)
Italy lists cost of war on Nazis
Claims heavy losses aiding Allies
ROME (UP) – The Italian Foreign Ministry contends that the Allies repeatedly rejected Italian requests to participate more fully in fighting the Germans, and strongly hints that an American desire to bring more Italians into combat was overruled by the British.
The contentions were contained in a just published 130,000-word “Green Book” which claimed that 125,929 Italian lives and $14,500,000,000 worth of Italian property were lost in Italy’s fight as a co-belligerent of the United Nations.
Entitled “The Italian Contribution to the War Against Germany,” the document summarizes material submitted to the Pans Peace Conference by Italy in an effort to soften the peace terms proposed by the Big Four.
It hinted at a British-American disagreement, quoting Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower as saying at the time of the Italian armistice, “I am sure that Gen. (Sir Harold R. L. G.) Alexander will be able to work out the question (of Italian combat troops) in such a way as to reach effective collaboration. I see no difficulty in permitting Italian troops to enter Rome with the first troops that arrive there.”
Alexander then was quoted as saying that plans for the Italian campaign had been laid in such detail that “participation of Italian troops cannot be taken into consideration.”
The book alleged that 20,650 Italians were killed or injured in crimes committed by Allied troops up to January 31, 1946.