711.00 Statement July 16, 1937/28: Telegram

The Ambassador in Italy ( Phillips ) to the Secretary of State

345. Department’s circular telegram July 17, 2 p.m., and my 340, July 21, 4 p.m.,19 last paragraph. The Director General in charge of American Affairs at the Foreign Office called to the Ministry this morning a member of the Embassy and informed him that he had been charged by the Minister for Foreign Affairs to notify the Embassy [Page 709] that Count Ciano had studied very carefully the Secretary’s statement of July 16th and while there were certain points on which his Government would find agreement there were others which would require further consideration and discussion. Count Ciano, therefore, expressed the view that he did not feel that he was in a position at the present time to give any detailed comments on the principles set forth in the statement or information on the attitude of the Italian Government in regard thereto. In stating the foregoing the Director General gave the impression that Count Ciano did not feel inclined to comment himself on the basis of the inquiry made in pursuance of the Department’s circular of July 17th but that formal representations might evoke a more direct response. In conclusion, he indicated that in the event that the Embassy should receive any further instructions on the matter Count Ciano would be glad to be informed.

In the course of a brief discussion which followed, the Director General noted in particular the agreement by exchange of notes in the Secretary’s statement to the limitation of armaments and the promotion of economic stability and in that connection referred to Mussolini’s statements in the Simms interview as to the convocation of an arms limitation conference on the initiative of the President of the United States.20 He then emphasized the importance of the limitation of armaments not only in the general interest of peace but also in relation to the grave economic problems confronting all countries engaged in the armaments race, and added that in his opinion the United States was the only country which was in a position to take the initiative in a world project for the organization of peace and the promotion of economic recovery.

Phillips
  1. Not printed.
  2. See telegram No. 244, May 25, noon, from the Ambassador in Italy, p. 655.