ACTION COPY ✓ INCOMING TELEGRAM Department of t tERMANENT REcoRD copy 37-H Control 767 7 Action Rec'd ss Info FROM Rome TO January 14 1963 8 35 a m Secretary of State NO 1367 January 14 Noon PRIORITY ACTION DEPARTMENT 1367 INFORMATION PARIS 286 ANKARA 61 PARIS PASS FINLETTER AND CINCEUR ' LIMIT DISTRIBUTION S S Embassy telegrams 1327 and 1336 President Segni received me yesterday January 13 for private c onversation With respect to Jupiter replacement he expressed understanding of necessity for replacement of obsolescent weapons with more modern s ys tems but was not responsive to argument that presence of Jupiter a t Giolia Del Colle increased vulnerability of west He a sserted firmly doctrine that any war in NATO Europe wou ld inevit a bly be nuclear Segni emphasized that it had been politically diff i cult for Italy to accept MRBMS at outset he was Def ense Min ister at the time and they had now become symbol of a rather unique Italian contribution to NATO defenses and more tha n that a symbol of Italian determination to participat e in the 1• defense of the west Their removal had grave polit ical and psychological implications He was particular ly wor ried what effect this might have if carried out prior to forthcoming parliamentary elections Even thereafter though easier to accomplish it would be of greatest importanc e that operation be carried out in such fashion as to leave no infer ence of tJ • This cop must be r etu ned to RM R centr a l files wffh ndtlRIODUOfllMtblMam s•C0PY IS A SSIGNCD TON A MC OF OFFICE DATE OF e ACTION O FFICE SY M OL __ _ ___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _--------t DECLASSIFIED a lf Authority ' a ' tt CfS5 J_ SECRET -2- 1367 January 14 Noon from Rome a lessening of Italian participation in nuclear defense and o f Italian determinat ion in gen eral There was too much n e utralism in Italy a nd the center-left gover ment ac ye to bring the Socialists to any significant change in their point of view Almost half the party wa s preSoviet and therefore anti-wes tern and the balance a t ½es t was still neutralist He had had long discussion s or subject with both Prime Minister Fanfani and Defense Min i s t er Andr eotti and he was sure former woul d fully explain problem whil e in Washington this week REINHARDT DT DECLASSIFIED Authority SECRET NWa 9't q-55