865.014/12–2848: Telegram
The Ambassador in Italy (Dunn) to the Secretary of State
4767. When I saw the Foreign Minister today he said he was well satisfied with his conversations with the French Foreign Minister at Cannes.1 They had discussed the question of the former Italian colonies and Schuman had confirmed the favorable attitude of the French Government toward Italian trusteeship for Libya and the part of Eritrea remaining after giving Ethiopia access to the sea at Assab as well as Italian trusteeship for Somaliland. Count Sforza said he had several times made an effort to get in touch with the Ethiopian Government. He said he could very well understand the Ethiopian attitude toward Italy because of the actions taken by the Fascist Government but he also felt that the Negus should make some effort to understand the Italian position and he still hoped to find a way to have conversations with the Ethiopian Government.
[Page 969]Sforza said he proposed to Schuman that Eritrea minus access to the sea be turned over to a united Europe trusteeship as the manner of dealing with that area would be of very deep interest to the western European nations.
Sforza said that the Italians still hoped very strongly that they would be given the trusteeship for Libya and his impression was, after talking with Schuman, that the atmosphere was becoming more favorable to Italy in that regard (refEmbtel 4762, December 24).2
[Here follows information on Italian participation in western defense arrangements.]