550 E 1/35

The Italian Ambassador ( Ricci ) to the Secretary of State

[Translation]

Mr. Secretary of State: By order of my Government I have the honor to forward herewith to you a copy of a communication sent to the Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Italy by Mr. Tchicherin concerning the membership of the Russian delegation to the Genoa Conference.7

To that effect His Excellency Marquis Torretta wishes me as a matter of official duty to call Your Excellency’s attention to the fact that representatives of Ukrainia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Bukhara, the Republic of the Far East and representatives of three Labor Unions are on that delegation on a par with the other members.

[Page 391]

With respect to Ukrainia His Excellency the Minister wishes me to refer to the declarations made by him on the subject at the sitting of the Supreme Council of January 10th where it was decided to admit Ukrainia to the Conference of Genoa on the request of the Moscow Government.

As for the other countries His Excellency the Minister remarks in a general way that they are outside of Europe while the Conference of Genoa under the decision arrived at at Cannes has a European character and it was decided that of non-European countries only those that were represented at the Supreme Council would be asked to participate.

As for Georgia His Excellency the Minister further remarks that there exists a de jure government that has been recognized and that the country is therefore in point of law in the condition of an invaded country; as for Azerbaijan, that country has not yet been recognized as a State and finally as for the Republic of the Far East that its separation has not been recognized.

Pending receipt of the opinion of the Government of the United States on the subject the Government of His Majesty would propose to consider all the delegates of the Russian delegation simply to be Russian delegates independently of the title by which they were chosen and independently of the office that they may hold in their respective countries.

Bearing in mind, however, the fact that in this way the Russian delegation would number 15 persons and that a wish was expressed at Cannes that while the number of Russian delegates was not determined that these as well as those from the countries that took part in the Supreme Council should be kept between 3 and 5 members, the Royal Government would propose to inquire of the Moscow Government whether the Russian delegation could not be reduced in numbers and delegates be sent only as experts.

Begging Your Excellency kindly to enable me to report to my Government such opinion as Your Excellency may be willing to express on the subject, I am [etc.]

V. Rolandi Ricci
  1. Not printed.