762.65/104: Telegram
The Ambassador in Italy (Long) to the Secretary of State
[Received 4:23 p.m.]
126. Responsible Italian officials including Suvich as well as the German Ambassador have stated to me definitely that there were no commitments nor any agreements as a result of the Hitler–Mussolini conversations and this in spite of the definite announcement to the foreign press by Count Ciano, Chief of the Italian Press Bureau, that there had been an agreement about Austria. However, the same officials are unanimous in expression of entire satisfaction over the tenor of the conversations and the general atmosphere of the meeting. They all seem to think that the result of the meeting will be beneficial to relations between Germany and Italy and helpful to the general political status of Central Europe. The meeting offered the opportunity for full exchange of views principally on the political status of Austria, economic rehabilitation of the Danubian States and Germany’s relations to the League of Nations. Also the intermediation of Italy for better relations between Germany and Russia were the subject of discussions of an incidental nature.
As regards Austria each seemed to recede a bit from their former positions and to concede the advisability of Austrian independence, Germany accepting that fact and Italy the possible eventuality of a Nazi government in the coming elections scheduled for October.…25 And immediately in point is the fact that Hitler did not come to Rome but met Mussolini at a place in Italy outside Rome because [Page 28] his presence in Rome would have created an embarrassing situation vis-à-vis the Pope.
As regards the Danubian States the conversations covered the general subject of economic rehabilitation without any specific arrangement being concluded.
As regards Germany’s relations with the League of Nations it is understood Germany desires a free hand and Italy accepts the idea of noninterference.
I also understand that a return visit by Mussolini to Hitler at the latter’s country place near Munich is scheduled to take place in October which, it may be noted, is the time set for the elections in Austria.
- The sentence here omitted was badly garbled.↩