763.72/9321½
The Ambassador in Italy (Page) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 18.]
My Dear Mr. Secretary: On the receipt of your reply82 to my telegram of March 20th (No. 1479)82 referring to the rumor being circulated in Italy that the President had made some statement adverse to Italy’s hopes, I published through the Stefani Agency a brief denial of the rumor. This denial has been commented on very favorably in the Italian press, the Messaggero having an editorial.
The Tribuna points out that besides the specific report denied by me there have been other false statements circulated in Italy, such as that Italy’s internal conditions had been reported in the United States by American commissioners in Italy as being very disheartening. All of this is to a certain extent a part of the defeatist propaganda [Page 117] and for the rest is due to a certain nervousness on the part of the public which latter is caused, I think, in part by our concentrating in France all of our troops who are sent over to this side. It has interested me very much to see a certain growth here in the feeling against France, a feeling which is apparently much stronger among the people than in the Government. It seems to be felt that France avails herself of her position and her relation to America to take for herself an unconscionable part of what America as well as England and South American countries can furnish to the common cause.
A memorandum recently furnished me by Signor Nitti, who is one of the coolest and most level headed men in the Government here, which I sent to you in my despatch No. 857 of March 19th,83 reflects this feeling and states that Italy would be content with one sixth of the coal that France gets if it were sufficient to enable her to carry on the war; but at present she only gets about one ninth.
To some extent she has the same feeling towards England and she looks to America to more nearly equalize in her case the assistance extended to the Allies. This is indicated by the reference to her feeling that England and France could readily furnish her more than they do but will not do so unless America takes steps to insist upon a juster apportionment. The fact is that Italy, . . . conscious of having faced extraordinary difficulties internal as well as external in this war, feels herself tremendously isolated and cut off from the other Allies. Her whole foreign policy for thirty years has been addressed towards the Central Empires which she feels was necessary for her at the time but has left her in a false position, at least according to the views of the Allies, and whatever failure there may be to come to her aid is regarded with a certain bitterness as being caused by this view. Nitti’s memorandum alludes to the fact that Italy was left to defend alone, except for recent loans of British and French troops, her Austrian frontier which was nearly as long as the French frontier, defended by France, England, and Portugal, and now by us. They are looking to the United States as giving the most immediate promise of additional aid and if it does not come I would not like to guarantee how long her present enthusiasm about the United States will continue.
Her Government people have heard only this morning that Baker does not think he can come to Italy and their disappointment and their feeling that a great mistake has been made was so plain that, sharing fully in this view as I do from my knowledge of the situation, I telegraphed Baker urging him to come here without fail and have telegraphed you asking you to support me in this request.
[Page 118]It is believed here that an attack is most imminent. Austria has massed against Italy not only her armies formerly aligned against her but those which have come from her eastern frontier and there is a feeling of subdued but serious anxiety here as to what the effect of this attack will be. The crumbling at Caporetto in the autumn gave Italy a shock from which she is still suffering and I feel that it is necessary to do everything possible to sustain her and keep established her resistive power.
At this moment all Italy is awaiting with bated breath the result of the tremendous German offensive on the British front in France, the anxiety being increased by the fact that little or no news is allowed to come through beyond the official communiqués which are too sybilline to give much assurance. Ere this reaches you, however, the issue will have been decided and so it is useless for me to take up your time in discussing the situation. To me it appears that the whole matter now rests on which side has the best generals. If England and France have generals who know how to handle the situation and utilize the great resources at their command they ought to win the war there and now.
Believe me [etc.]