Office of the Historian

211.65/102: Telegram

The Ambassador in Italy (Long) to the Secretary of State

Rome, April 9, 1934—noon.
[Received 2:25 p.m.]

56. Before notifying the Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the contents of your No. 24, April 5, 1 p.m. I will await further instructions for the following reasons:

1st.
Italian draft treaty is en route to you and is so much more comprehensive than our old draft that an examination of it may develop the advisability or expediency of using it as a basis of negotiations. The [Page 603] Italian draft covers the following crimes not included in our draft: fraudulent bankruptcy and crimes against the bankruptcy laws committed by persons other than the bankrupt, various crimes of degeneracy, mayhem, extortion, white slavery, and to “malicious and unlawful acts intended to cause railway disasters” adds “air disasters and attempts against the safety of transport by land, sea, and air” but does not include mutiny or forgery as such.
2d.
The Italian draft seems to me as acceptable while providing a larger coverage of crime; and,
3rd.
That they have had our draft for 6 years without agreeing to use it as a basis while their present draft is assumably acceptable to them and offers us a fair basis for negotiations. If this delay is inconsistent with your policy I will proceed with your instructions on receipt of cable advice.

Long