701.6593/17: Telegram

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

211. Your September 25, 5 p.m. I have been informed at the Foreign Office, in the absence of Mr. Suvich, by Prince del Drago, his assistant, that they have definitely decided upon the Embassy to China to be located at Shanghai. To my comment upon the fact that the American Government had only been advised and had not been consulted he replied that it was not necessary to consult with any other governments and that none of them had been consulted; that Italy was a party to a written understanding that they would advise with other governments before raising the Legation in China to an Embassy except that there was no obligation to consult if there existed in China an Embassy from any country; and that there already existed in China an Embassy from Russia and that China sent an Ambassador to Russia; and that interested governments had been advised as a matter of comity.

He also said that China was the greatest nation of the Far East though it was in a very distraught state, but that, in the opinion of the Italian Government, China was of such international importance as to be entitled to receive an Ambassador from Italy.

To my inquiry as to whether there were other political significance and as to whether it was a friendly gesture toward Russia he replied that of course it could not be construed as a move antagonistic to Russia. To my suggestion that it might be considered as an indication of the lack of an entire cordiality toward Japan he replied in Italian “ecco”, which in Italian vernacular is translated “that is just it”.

This confirms the penultimate paragraph of my No. 206.80

Not repeated to other missions.

Long
  1. September 26, 1 p.m., p. 537.