740.00119 EW/6–2646
The Italian Ambassador (Tarchiani) to the Acting Secretary of State
The Italian Ambassador presents his compliments to the Honorable the Acting Secretary of State and, upon instructions received from his Government, has the honor to inform him of the following.
[Page 647]According to information received in recent days, the American delegation at Paris has deemed it necessary to take an active stand favorable to the French claims, including those decidedly unjust of Tenda, Briga and Moncenisio.
The support given by the American delegation to the French thesis has sadly and profoundly stricken the Government and the people of Italy.
On several occasions, the Italian Ambassador, under directives of his Government, has pointed out to the Department of State that Tenda, Briga and Moncenisio are the doors leading into Italy’s house. The cession of these localities to France would be a mutilation of Italian territory which could hardly ever be healed. The Italian Embassy had also occasion in the past to remark to the Department of State that all the French political men of major stature have admitted explicitly on various occasions that the aforesaid claims were made and inspired by French military circles notably insensible to the much more important reasons of pacification and collaboration, and have qualified them as unreasonable and dangerous. The French extreme left has backed these military demands for obscure reasons, as known by the Department. The Italian Embassy has made known moreover to the Department, even recently, the Italian proposals for the common development of the hydraulic resources of the region vindicated by France; such proposals cover totally all and every economic French requirement. The French demands remain therefore exclusively based on brutal strategical reasons, namely, exactly on those reasons which have been many times defined by the Americans as unworthy of consideration.
The Italian Government must stress that it is not on such terms that a vital Europe can be constructed. On the contrary, a permanent focus of resentment and enmity is bound to be created in the said zones of the Franco-Italian frontier. The Italian Embassy, in a recent note addressed to the Department of State, has again pointed out and summarized the many grave sacrifices already made by Italy in France’s favor during the past two years. It is evident that they have not been appreciated in their full value by the American delegation.
The Italian Government, notwithstanding the reports mentioned, according to which the American delegation would have given France a strong backing in this vital question, disregarding the Italian just motives, trusts that, on the basis of assurances and promises repeatedly received from the United States for a just peace, the American support will not fail it, in order that an objective and just evaluation and solution of the problem may prevail.