500.A15a3/1197: Telegram
The Chargé in France (Armour) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 27—9:50 a.m.]
340. From Gibson and Wilson. The British Ambassador has informed Wilson that on Sunday morning, acting under instructions from his Government, he called on the Foreign Office and made the statement that the British Government viewed with concern the apparent check in the French-Italian naval conversations; that Mr. Mac-Donald in the London Conference, and Mr. Henderson at a later date, had already offered any possible British assistance in solution of the difficulty; that the British Government had now instructed him (the Ambassador) to reiterate that Great Britain’s offer of assistance for mediation or other purposes was still open at any time that the disputing powers chose to avail themselves of it.
The Foreign Office official to whom Tyrrell was speaking replied that Massigli had taken the latest step in the discussions by the offer he made at Geneva; the Italians had not yet replied to it, although they had stated that the negotiations were still open; that Fascist Grand Council had subsequently adopted a resolution calling for [Page 152] parity, and that under these circumstances the first step toward resumption of negotiations must come from Italy and that it could lead to something only if they relaxed their attitude with regard to parity.
Gibson is to see Tardieu at 5 o’clock. Embassy at Rome informed.