500.A15a3/1629: Telegram
The Ambassador in Italy (Garrett) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received 12:06 p.m.]
159. I had a talk with Grandi with reference to Marriner’s telegram to the Department of August 26, No. 540.34 He said the French proposal was unacceptable and that he had told the French Ambassador that the proposal could not be taken seriously if France were really desirous of reaching an accord; if France wished this proposal to be taken seriously, he must conclude that she had no desire to reach an agreement. Grandi went on to say that this proposal in effect scrapped the Basis of Accord of March 1 and went back to the Treaty of Washington. He added, however, that Italy was so disposed to reach an agreement that he expected to be in a position to suggest an answer to the French proposal in a few days. In addition to a few minor changes (for example, in the French proposal for scrapping ships as they were replaced—which would be unfair to Italy since France would scrap only pre-Washington ships as against Italy’s more modern ones), he would propose two amendments to the effect that the yearly tonnage allowed to be built should be based on the period starting from 1924 instead of 1922, and that France and Italy should make a reduction in auxiliary building of 75 percent instead of 25 percent annually.
Repeated to Paris, Brussels, and London.
- Not printed.↩