793.94/3648
Memorandum by the Secretary of State
The Italian Ambassador called and read to me the following cable, received from Signor Grandi last night:
“Signor Grandi would have willingly assisted himself in the démarche of the American Government towards the Governments of Tokyo and Nanking. However, owing to the fact that Italy is a member of the League of Nations it does not seem possible, out of consideration for the other states belonging to the League, to act in regard to the Manchurian problem separately from the action of the League; more so, inasmuch as Italy as a member of the League has already received the assurances requested by the American note. Nevertheless, in order that Italy’s abstention may not give the impression that the Italian Government is not in full accord with the United States on the substance of the questions concerning the Far East and with the aid of continuing in the cooperation which has proved so far so profitable in other fields, Minister Grandi has requested the Japanese Ambassador in Rome to confirm [to?] him the statements made to us by his colleague at Geneva.”
He then asked me whether there was any truth in the story published in the Associated Press to the effect that the United States would have no objection to a security pact, provided the United States was not asked to join. I replied that no such inquiry had been made of me at all, and therefore no answer had been made to any such question by the United States, and it was therefore unnecessary to comment upon the statement.
He then informed me that he had arranged to have a man from the Italian Press Association stationed here in America, as the other press associations in Europe did, who would transmit information directly to Rome, instead of having it pass through Paris and London. This, he said, would result in much greater accuracy in communication and news.