500.A15a4/350½
The Secretary of State to the Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs (Grandi)
My Dear Signor Grandi: I have received and read your letter of August 12, 1931 with the utmost pleasure and interest. It is one of the most significant and encouraging results of the efforts which we have all been making in recent years that I should be able to receive from you such a frank and informal and helpful account of your meeting with the German Chancellor and Dr. Curtius. It gives me a far better understanding of the situation than I could possibly receive through the usual formal diplomatic channels.
In the first place, I am delighted at your account of the spirit in which the mutual interchanges between Dr. Bruening and Signor Mussolini and yourself took place. I agree with you that the seriousness of the present world situation has very evidently brought the representatives of all the great nations to a realization of the imperative necessity for seeking a solution of pending problems in a spirit of mutual collaboration before those problems bring upon us a great disaster. One of the encouraging observations which I have made upon my present trip has been along these lines. It has seemed to me that all of the gentlemen whom I have met, recognizing this serious condition, were putting aside all minor considerations in an effort to substitute a spirit of mutual understanding for the former spirit of suspicion and mistrust. In my opinion this is vital. Some of these political problems lie across the path of the road towards disarmament. Until they are grappled with and solved, some of the countries of Europe are likely to insist upon remaining highly armed. With the spirit of mutual confidence which would be produced [Page 562] by their solution it ought to be easy to make much greater progress in disarmament than would be possible in the present situation.
I note with particular interest your account of your discussion of this problem of disarmament with the German Ministers, particularly as your advice to them follows almost exactly the line I took in my conferences with them in Berlin. I told them then that the very fact that Germany was now disarmed gave her a moral influence upon the other nations of Europe, which I felt would be sure to bring about a reduction of their armament in the end unless Germany herself should destroy that influence by ill-advised steps towards arming herself meanwhile. They also told me of the situation of their naval construction and I understood from them that they would be ready to undertake the postponement of the building of battleship “C” which you mentioned.
I am very glad that you broached to them your important suggestion that the conference should open in the spirit of a general and provisional understanding between the various governments of a holiday in armament construction, and I agree with you that the moral effect of such a measure would in all probability be very great and would exercise a most helpful influence upon the work of the Disarmament Conference.
I should be very glad to hear what further progress you succeed in making with this idea.
So far as Germany’s financial position is concerned, your message confirms hopeful evidence which I have been receiving from other quarters. Thereto you seem to have taken towards the German Ministers very much the same position which I took with them in Berlin. I told them that the American people had confidence in Germany and that the American Government had shown this by the step which Mr. Hoover had taken, but that in the final event Germany could be saved only by her own efforts and that the German people must show the requisite courage and confidence which will persuade the banking institutions of the world that it will be safe to lend her their resources. I took much the same position in my talk with President von Hindenburg. I have been very glad to learn through our Embassy in Berlin that a new spirit of courage now seems to be exhibited by the German people and that an atmosphere of greater confidence is prevalent. In my opinion, it is vital that this effort by Germany should precede any further conferences of the various governments in respect to her economic condition.
I sincerely hope that we shall soon hear further concerning your naval conversations with France. In London I told Mr. Laval that in my opinion a successful solution of that naval problem was an [Page 563] indispensable preliminary towards that further progress towards European disarmament which we all were striving for. He told me that he agreed with me and he further gave me direct encouragement that your conversations would very soon be renewed.
I have noted all the other matters in your letter with the utmost interest and I look forward to further exchanges of the same informal character with the greatest pleasure.
I am sorry that your holiday will be so short, but I hope that it will bring you back to Rome thoroughly refreshed for your most important work. Mrs. Stimson and I have had a very refreshing rest here in Scotland and are leaving in a few days for America.
I shall be very glad if you will give my good wishes to Signor Mussolini, and believe me with most cordial regards,
Yours very sincerely,