File No. 763.72119/2445

The Ambassador in Italy ( Page ) to the Secretary of State

[Telegram]

2261. The following is a précis of a telegram sent by General Diaz [the] Italian national chief of staff:

On October 29, Captain Ruggiero Camillo of the Austrian General Staff presented himself before our lines with pass and letter signed respectively by Generals Krobatin and Weber. Letter states that the Austro-Hungarian Government, having accepted with its reply of 28th instant all of the conditions imposed by the President, has instructed commission, presided over by General Weber, to enter into negotiations for immediate armistice on land and sea with the plenipotentiaries of the Italian Supreme Command. General Weber proposes city of Ala as the place of negotiations.

Through the captain referred to above I replied to General Weber as follows:

The Italian Supreme Command cannot carry on any negotiations with General. Weber because the documents transmitted by him do not show that the authority was given personally to him by the Supreme Command of the Austrian Army. Italian Supreme Command cannot undertake to discuss with any commission either armistice or suspension of hostilities tending to interrupt the current military operations. It will, however, gladly receive duly authorized delegates in order to inform them of the conditions which it will accept with the consent of the Government and in complete accord with its allies.

Nelson Page