765.84/4508
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Western European Affairs (Dunn)
The Counselor of the Italian Embassy came in this morning and said that he had been sent by the Ambassador to talk to me in a very frank and confidential manner about the situation in connection with the Italian occupation of Ethiopia and the decree of May 9 proclaiming the annexation of Ethiopia. He said that he would take the liberty of discussing the matter with me, although he realized that it might be difficult or even impossible for me to answer some of the questions he might put to me. He said he would understand perfectly if I were not able to answer him on any of the points he brought up.
He said that the Italian Government had received from the Canadian Government a simple acknowledgment of the Italian communication of the decree of May 9 and that the reply of the Argentine [Page 237] Government to this communication was in the form of an acknowledgment and a statement that the Argentine Government made a reservation with respect to the attitude it would adopt toward the annexation of Ethiopia.
Rossi Longhi went on to say that the Italian Government had heard that the Government of Colombia had suggested to the American governments, including the United States, that all the American governments inform the Italian Government in reply to its notification of the decree of May 9th that in conformity with Article 2 of the Anti-War Treaty of October, 1933, the American governments would not recognize the taking over of Ethiopia by Italy. He said the Italian Government had also been informed that the Governments of Brazil and Peru had indicated to the Colombian Government that they were not prepared to take action along the lines suggested by Colombia and that the reply of the Government of Guatemala to the Government of Colombia, while indicating a disinclination to accede to the Colombian suggestion, was a rather more lengthy reply than those of Peru and Brazil.
The Counselor then asked me whether I could give him any information as to what the attitude of this Government would be toward the suggestion of the Colombian Government. I said that I was not prepared to give him any information with regard to the American attitude toward the recent developments in Ethiopia. I said that we had received inquiries from other governments as to what the attitude of this Government would be toward the situation and that in response to such inquiries we had stated that we were not prepared to give any expression of our views at this time; that we were receiving information continually and observing all the developments in connection with the situation, but that we were not in any position to give any expression whatever on the subject.
Rossi Longhi asked if that had been our reply to the Colombian Government. I said that our replies to any inquiries on the subject were uniformly in the sense as I had given it above.
The Counselor then asked if I could tell him anything about the Presidential Proclamation95 and smilingly remarked that “the war is over.” I told him I had nothing whatever to say on that subject. He then went on to say that the Italian Government felt that the situation as far as concerned the positions of the various European governments and their attitudes toward Italy had not become less favorable since the last meeting of the League Council, though it might not be correct to say that their attitudes were more favorable. The Italian Government hoped, however, that with the passing of a few weeks before the next meeting of the Council on June 16th the attitude of the [Page 238] sanctionist Powers might improve and the Government felt that any action taken by the American States along the lines suggested by Colombia would only make the situation more difficult with particular regard to the effect that such action might have on the question of sanctions. I gathered that the Italian Government was most anxious that no action unfavorable to the Italian thesis be taken by the American States which might have a detrimental influence on its cause at Geneva.
Rossi Longhi, before leaving, suggested that he might come in from time to time to discuss these matters with me and asked me if I would be willing to allow him to keep in touch with me in that way in a frank and confidential discussion of this situation as it develops. I told him that I would be very glad to see him at any time and to have any information he might wish to give us.