740.0011 Four Power Pact/140
The Ambassador in Italy (Long) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received August 2.]
Sir: With reference to my telegram No. 78 of July 15, 1933, 11 a.m.58 reporting the signature of the Four-Power Pact, I have the honor to inform the Department that the ambassadors of Great Britain, France, and Germany and the Chief of the Italian Government signed the documents in Signor Mussolini’s office in the Palazzo Venezia on the above-mentioned date. Although some disappointment was felt here that it was not found possible, as had been hoped, for the heads or foreign ministers of the signatory governments to come to Rome in the end and sign the Pact themselves, the telegrams of congratulation sent to Signor Mussolini by Mr. MacDonald and Sir John Simon, by M. Daladier, and by Herr Hitler have nevertheless done much to soften the blow to the expectations of the Italian public that there would be a gathering in Rome of distinguished statesmen with the resultant enhancement of the prestige of the country.
[Page 425]The expected declaration on the part of the Chief of Government at the time of the signing of the Pact (see my telegram No. 77, 4 p.m. July 7, 1933, and despatch No. 53 of June 30, 193359) which was calculated to offset the unfortunate effect in Germany of the French communications concerning Article 19 of the League of Nations Pact to the Little Entente and to Poland and thereby to appease German public opinion was not forthcoming. From reliable sources the Embassy has learned that shortly before the signature of the Pact the Italian Government addressed a reassuring note in this connection to the German Government which proved satisfactory to the latter and made the declaration referred to above unnecessary. It appears that the Italian note under reference, which was in reply to German protests to the effect that a unilateral interpretation of the provisions of the Pact such as France had made to the Little Entente and to Poland was inconsistent with the spirit of collaboration among the four powers the creation of which was one of the chief purposes of the Pact, pointed out to the Germans that since the French communications merely reaffirmed the principle of unanimity of decision at the present time in force within the Assembly of the League of Nations, there could be no cause for complaint on the part of the Germans in so far as the substance of the French communications was concerned. On the other hand the note went on to say that the Italian Government was of the opinion that henceforth interpretations regarding the provisions of the Four-Power Pact should be made only in collaboration and not unilaterally.
Italian press comment on the signature of the Pact is, of course, extremely enthusiastic and optimistic with regard to the future, and all editorials emphasize that it means peace in Europe for at least ten years, one newspaper even going so far as to state that in substance the Pact may prove everlasting. Coming at a time when the World Economic Conference is breaking up, when the Disarmament Conference is in the doldrums, and when the prestige of the League of Nations is at a low ebb, Italian public opinion is inclined to regard the Four-Power Pact as the only worthwhile machinery in existence today for international collaboration. Long extracts from eulogistic articles in the foreign press are also reproduced in the newspapers here, and the general impression prevails that the Pact means the salvation of Europe at a critical period in its history.
There is enclosed herewith a translation of an interview60 given to the Rome correspondent of the Paris Temps by Ambassador de Jouvenel on the genesis of the Four-Power Pact and the subsequent negotiations thereon.
Respectfully yours,