740.0011 Mutual Guarantee (Locarno)/690: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Bingham) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 20—8:15 a.m.]
270. In discussing the present position outlined in my 269, May 19, 8 p.m., with the Foreign Office it was also reiterated that the time element was the all important factor; while it was in England’s interest to reconstruct a front of the Western Powers it was emphasized that it was clearly in Italy’s interest. Such a step, however, involved (1) terminating the Anglo-Italian situation, and (2) effecting an adjustment of Italy’s position with the present League.
The Foreign Office felt that British public opinion was bewildered by the proven failure of its ideals but that it was not unreceptive, and if the Cabinet took a strong line such a lead would be welcomed by public opinion. The Foreign Office hoped that such a policy would “with luck” have been found by the Government for the Geneva meeting on June 16, if so things would move quickly thereafter, and that this Government policy would eventually offer a way out of sanctions, to withdraw the home fleet from the Mediterranean and to effect the necessary reestablishment of Italian relations with the present League, in which case important obstacles would be removed from the path of possible League reorganization at the autumn session. However, it was obvious that the Foreign Office feared that if at the end of the June League meeting an Anglo-Italian rapprochement had not been effected the time element factor would have added [Page 306] importance, in that Mussolini might decide that Italy’s interests could be more profitably reconciled with Germany’s than with England’s.
In this connection, it should be noted that the Cabinet seems to be incapable of positive public action in matters, either great or small, and that the rot which set in with the Hoare-Laval plan has progressively increased, and its recent set-backs such as in the matter of equal pay for men and women in the civil service and the practical withdrawal of the coal bill this week are further symptoms of its disorganization.