852.00/5743: Telegram
The Ambassador in Italy (Phillips) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 16—4:18 p.m.]
283. Count Ciano informed me this afternoon that he had just received a report to the effect that an Italian merchant vessel had been bombed off the southern coast of Spain while on its way through the Mediterranean to discharge its cargo principally of cotton seed and oil cake in Glasgow and in London. Two planes had dropped thirty bombs, the vessel had been damaged slightly in the bow and was taking water but there had been no casualties. He mentioned that this incident had occurred on the very day on which the Italian Government had returned to the London Non-intervention Committee.10
While Ciano said he had not yet had time to advise the Duce, he thought that no serious complications would result since there had been no loss of life.
- On June 16 the German and Italian Ambassadors in London informed the Chairman of the Non-intervention Committee that Germany and Italy had decided to resume cooperation with the Committee and active participation in naval control (852.00/5741).↩