462.00R296A1/66: Telegram
The Ambassador in Italy (Garrett) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 20—2:50 p.m.]
14. Today the British Government suggested to the Italian Government that they represent to Germany the dangers of failure of the [Page 653] Lausanne Conference and suggest that a preliminary agreement be reached to extend the Hoover moratorium for so long as may be necessary to prepare the way for a conference that may be looked forward to with some measure of hope of success but for a maximum of 9 months. Grandi tells me he thinks that the British Government had consulted France before making this suggestion but so far as he knows France has not yet agreed to it. Nevertheless, Grandi sent instructions to Berlin this afternoon in the sense indicated.
Cipher text mailed to Paris, London, Berlin, Brussels.