Notes

1. Though it is not strictly relevant to the origins of the Society it may be worth mentioning that I invited the Italian broadcasters to join me in writing a book which was published as a Penguin Special with official approval in an English version entitled The Remaking of Italy, by Pentad, and an Italian version, L’Italia di domani, by Pentacle. The names of the authors naturally could not be given at the time, but it may now be stated that Alessandro Magri wrote the historical chapter, "The Making of Italy", Lorenzo Minio-Paluello that on "The Germans and Italy", I wrote "The English and Italy", Ruggero Orlando "The Black Death of Fascism", and Pier Paolo Fano looked to the future in "Italy after Fascism". At least 125,000 copies of the two editions were printed. The date of publication was September 1941.

2. Purely Italian as regards membership, though several English persons had close contacts with it, particularly the Sprigges and Sylvia Pankhurst.

3. There was a London Section of the Italian Socialist Party at the time. I have a diary note of speaking on 21st March 1942 along with Camille Huysmans, Louis Levy, Lord Wedgwood and Victor Schiff at a meeting it organized to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the death of Filippo Turati.

4. Foà and Magri appear to have been the only persons to have served – at different times – on the Executive Committees of both bodies.

5. Owned by the anti-Fascist Giandolini, who was also known by the English name Abel that he adopted. This was a favourite meeting place of Italians and British opposed to the Fascist regime. It was in particular the favourite restaurant of Aneurin Bevan who, despite his leftward stance, prided himself on his knowledge of food and wine.

6. The Group expired with the General Election of 1945, when I entered the Government and could no longer take part in foreign affairs save for negotiating civil aviation agreements. I have a diary note that on 11th November 1947 (soon after I left the Government) I convened a meeting in a committee room of the House of Commons at which it was decided to re-form the Anglo-Italian Parliamentary Group. Harold Macmillan presided over the meeting, and Charles Mott-Radclyffe and I were elected joint honorary secretaries.