740.00119 European War 1939/1985
The British Embassy to the Department of State
Aide-Mémoire
Several London newspapers published on October 29th a Reuters report from Washington stating that “it had been learned” that an agreement in forty articles covering the economic and financial terms foreshadowed in the Italian Armistice Agreement of September 3rd had been signed on October 1st, and that the terms were “severe”. In reply to enquiries from journalists the Foreign Office had no alternative but to confirm that the full armistice terms were in fact signed on September 29th, and to say their details would no doubt be made known later.
- 2.
- The Counsellor of the Netherlands Embassy in London37 enquired of the Foreign Office on October 30th whether the information was correct, and if so whether he could be supplied with the text of the full terms. He was given the text and was informed that a protocol was still to be signed amending it in certain particulars. It was explained that the only reason why the text had not been communicated to the Netherlands Government earlier was that there had hitherto been some doubt as to what its final form would be.
- 3.
- The Counsellor of the Netherlands Embassy was asked not to communicate the text to the other Allied representatives in London. [Page 390] But the Foreign Office expect to receive enquiries from the representatives of these Allies, and in that case propose to give them the text with a similar explanation.
- 4.
- In the light of these developments the Foreign Office propose, subject to the views of the State Department, immediately on the signature of the protocol to communicate the text of the long terms, of the amending protocol and of General Eisenhower’s letter to Marshal Badoglio38 to all the representatives in London of the European Allies who are at war with Italy, as well as to the Iraqi and Ethiopian representatives. This would be in accordance with the action taken in the case of the short terms. The Foreign Office presume that the United States authorities would wish to take similar action in respect of the Latin American Allies and China.
- 5.
- As soon as the Allies have been informed in this way the Foreign Office would like to proceed to immediate publication. Apart from the danger of leakage, His Majesty’s Government expect to be under severe pressure in Parliament from now on to reveal the full text. They propose therefore, subject to the concurrence of the United States Government, to lay the texts of the long terms and of the amending protocol before Parliament prior to its recess on November 11th (it should be noted that the date of the recess must be regarded as confidential). General Eisenhower’s letter might with advantage be withheld from publication, although it will have to be shown to the Allied Governments.