File No. 365.117/553

Ambassador Page to the Secretary of State

No. 676

Sir: Referring to the Department’s instruction No. 498 of March 6, instructing the Embassy at the request of Mr. Joseph Nicholas Orocchi’s relatives in America to ask the Italian Government that he be assigned to a hospital or ambulance corps, I have now the honor to report to have received to-day a reply from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying that the Ministry of War greatly regrets its inability to comply with the wishes expressed. I enclose herewith translation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ reply as well as the translation of the note from the Ministry of War enclosed with the Foreign Office’s reply.

I have [etc.]

Thos. Nelson Page
[Inclosure 1—Translation]

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the American Embassy

Referring to note No. 1532 of April 2, the Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs is sorry to have to communicate to the Embassy of the United States of America that the competent military authorities can not comply with the desire expressed by the relatives of the soldier Orocchi Giuseppe that he be transferred from the artillery to a sanitary or hospital corps, the present laws in force preventing such a change.

The Embassy will please find attached a copy of the note received from the R. Ministry of War on the subject.

[Subinclosure—Translation]

The Ministry of War to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

This Ministry has not failed to examine the desire expressed by the relatives of the artilleryman Orocchi Nicola to have him transferred to the sanitary service.

In this regard, however, notwithstanding every willingness to comply with the request transmitted by the American Embassy, this Ministry is sorry not to be [Page 842] able to provide for the desired change—being prevented by the laws now in force—and an exception made in this instance would cause immediately similar demands by others.

The note verbale of the American Embassy is hereby returned.