765.84/2967: Telegram
The Ambassador in Italy (Long) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 9—8:40 a.m.]
888. The Messaggero yesterday said that reports about the bombardment of an American Red Cross hospital at Dessie were pure anti-Italian propaganda for American consumption. The newspaper said editorially that from the military viewpoint there can be no doubt as to the legitimacy of the operation. Dessie was the headquarters of the Negus and there was a gathering of all the military chiefs in preparation for an offensive. Nothing could have been more natural than an Italian air attack—and it must be remembered that there was a very violent anti-air attack from the Abyssinians.
Italy, it points out, has consistently avoided bombardment of any non-military locality and has in particular respected Red Cross hospitals; she has in fact any number of times refrained from bombarding buildings that had the appearance of military character merely because they flew the Red Cross flag “to such a point that impartial observers wondered and even asked us if international scruples were not being carried to the point of ingenuity”. It is, therefore, impossible that the Italian air force would have made an exception to this rule in the case of an American Red Cross hospital.
On the other hand, no notice had been given under article 11 of the Geneva Convention of 1929 of the existence of any American or other hospitals or sanitary organizations in the localities in question, whether Dessie or any other place, where operations are now proceeding. It [Page 899] is pointed out that the bombardment of Gondar had previously been reported while it is now an ascertained fact that that city was never attacked.