862i.73/71

The Italian Ambassador (Martino) to the Secretary of State

No. 643 A 12

Mr. Secretary of State: By the note dated December 17th [12th], 192528 Your Excellency asked me to submit to the consideration of my Government the request directed to Your Excellency by the Governments of Germany and of Netherlands for the transfer to the latter of the Yap–Menado cable.

As Your Excellency is aware, the Italian Government, which has always desired the settlement of the question of the ex-German cables, had in 1922 accepted in its main lines the United States plan providing for the sharing of said cables in equal parts by the Powers concerned, a plan formulated by Mr. Fletcher in conformity with a general understanding reached by the representatives of the same Powers; and, precisely on the occasion of the Fletcher plan, the Italian Government had also adhered to grant to Netherlands the Yap–Menado cable, the value of which is not to be calculated in the German reparation assets.

The Italian Government, having examined Your Excellency’s note of December 12, have directed me to inform Your Excellency that in conforming their acceptance in its main lines of the Fletcher Plan, they also maintain their adhesion to the transfer of the Yap–Menado cable to Netherlands, the cession to take place without further delay.

Accept [etc.]

G. de Martino
  1. See note to the British Ambassador, Dec. 12, 1925, p. 774.