500.A15a3/1218: Telegram
The Ambassador in Italy (Garrett) to the Secretary of State
101. From Gibson. At half past five this afternoon Garrett took me to call on Grandi. When I had concluded my message, which I delivered in considerable detail, Grandi expressed no views as to possibility of finding a solution by the method we have suggested, but he gave me a detailed recital of the French-Italian negotiations since the termination of the London Conference. His story contained nothing new of importance; it was unfortunately like the opposite side of the question as I had heard it in Paris.
Grandi said that evidently the French Government, thanks to the interest we had shown in the subject, had taken steps to explain that their failure to send a further communication to Italy after Briand’s consultation with the Cabinet did not constitute a rupture in the French-Italian discussions, but was due wholly to the fact that the French were precluded from making further advances by the resolution of the Fascist Grand Council on parity. He added that he had informed the French Ambassador that as far as the Italian Government was concerned the resolution merely reiterated the consistent position held by Italy and that not in any sense need it be considered an obstacle to further discussions.
The French Ambassador told Grandi that the Government of the Republic was anxious to take up the discussions again, and he suggested that possibly Rosso might be sent back to Paris for that purpose. Grandi told him that Rosso could hardly be sent a second time to Paris on an errand of this kind, but that in any event Rosso or someone else with other Italian experts would be in Geneva next week for the meeting of the Preparatory Commission, and at that time would be ready to meet the French representatives there.
Grandi added bluntly, that Italy was obliged to “save her face;” that she had, as a matter of fact, surrendered the essence of parity in her own proposals at Geneva while at the same time trying to maintain a semblance of parity with a view to satisfying public opinion.69 Several times, Grandi repeated that Italy would be reluctant [Page 164] to build up to any French program and would begrudge money taken from other more urgent enterprises to spend on naval building, but, on the other hand, some semblance of parity must be insisted on for the sake of Italian public opinion.
In conversation with the French Ambassador, Grandi had spoken of the approaching end of the naval holiday for 1930 with misgiving and had told him that he looked forward with concern to the possible need, if no accord was reached by January 1931, of laying down forty-odd thousand tons.
Grandi confined himself to repeating that Italy ardently desired an agreement, although I offered him several opportunities to express his views as to the possibilities of our suggestion. He stated that Italy would welcome any possible solution, but said nothing which gave us ground for feeling that the next move might come from Italy. Finally, he expressed gloom almost amounting to hopelessness as to achieving any agreement satisfactory to the French Government.
I am to see Mussolini tomorrow or Saturday according to arrangements which Grandi is making. At that time an opportunity for getting further light on the Italian attitude may or may not be afforded.