693.119/303
The Acting Secretary of State to the British Chargé ( Lindsay )
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of February 5, 1920, referring to the attitude of the Italian Government toward the declaration to the Chinese Government, made by the Diplomatic representatives at Peking, with the approval of the respective Governments, undertaking to restrict traffic in military arms and munitions between their respective countries and China. I note that the Japanese Government has instructed its Ambassador at Rome to join his colleagues in drawing the attention of the Italian Government to that undertaking; and that it has in the meantime inquired of the British Government whether it is intended to condone the action of the Italian Government in which case the Japanese Government would request permission to make deliveries of arms which, unlike those sold by the Italians, had been contracted for prior to the agreement to stop such trade.
I have the honor to state that this Government was informed on May 17th last, that the Italian Government had accepted the arms importation embargo, making an exception, however, in favor of arms already contracted for at the time.90 The American Legation at Peking expressed the fear that the insistence by the Italians upon such an exception would upset the entire agreement; and this Government instructed its Embassy at Rome on May 20th to bring the matter to the attention of the Italian Government and to urge that it withdraw its exception to the agreement for the sake of uniformity of action, which was deemed very essential.91 Later, on November 28th, at the request of the French Government, this [Page 742] Government instructed its Ambassador at Rome to join his French colleague in further representations in the premises, should he consider the time opportune.92 Until recently the Embassy at Rome has had no information upon which to base any conclusion as to what action the Italian Government determined to take in this matter, although it is understood from information which has been unofficially imparted that the Italian Government is agreeable to the principle involved and that the main reason for delay was the absence from Peking of the Italian Minister.
This Government is disposed to agree with the point of view of the British Government as to the consequences which would follow upon the abandonment of the present policy of restricting shipments of arms to China. It has held this view consistently and has refused to permit any shipments of arms or ammunition, or the materials used in their manufacture, consigned to China, not without considerable opposition on the part of American manufacturers who have received orders for arms for delivery in China.
In so far as the question of Italy is concerned, I have the honor to add that the information of this Government does not indicate such activity in the arms traffic on the part of Italians as would jeopardize the purposes of the embargo or warrant its discontinuance at the present time.
Accept [etc.]
- See telegram, May 17, 1919, from the Minister in China, ibid., p. 670.↩
- Ibid., p. 671.↩
- Foreign Relations, 1919, vol. i, p. 673.↩