862.20/860: Telegram
The Ambassador in Italy (Long) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 13—6:28 a.m.]
201. Official communiqué issued last night, and published this morning states that yesterday’s session [s] at Stresa were devoted to concluding the discussions on the French appeal to the League, to a discussion of the Austrian situation opened by Mussolini, and to discussions of the Eastern and [Western] Air Pacts.85 During the afternoon Simon gave further details regarding Germany’s attitude as put to him during his Berlin visit and added that according to information received by him yesterday von Neurath86 had informed the British Ambassador in Berlin that Germany was ready to participate in an Eastern nonaggression pact even if some of the states signatory thereto should conclude separate mutual assistance agreements among themselves.87
Morning papers state that during an interview last night to the German newspaper correspondents Simon stated that England was ready to furnish Germany with all explanations desired regarding the clause of noninterference in Austrian internal affairs but added that [Page 241] if Germany was not satisfied with such explanations England would conclude an agreement of noninterference in Austria with Italy and France anyway.
- The proposal for an air pact (so-called “Western Air Locarno”) between the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Belgium was contained in the Anglo-French joint declaration of February 3, 1935; see British Cmd. 5143, p. 15.↩
- Constantin von Neurath, German Minister for Foreign Affairs.↩
- See British Cmd. 5143, p. 24.↩