765.84/4117: Telegram
The Consul at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 16—10 p.m.]
121. 1. The following is a résumé given me by an entirely responsible source of the developments in a strictly secret meeting today of the Committee of Thirteen.
Madariaga reported that the position of the Italians on the procedural question of the negotiations was to the effect that they be strictly bilateral, the details being as described in paragraphs 1 and 2 of my 120, April 16, 4 p.m., except that the League would be informed of the procedures as an “act of courtesy” by means of joint communiqués and not independently by the two plenipotentiaries. Respecting an armistice, the Ethiopian Government must apply direct to Marshal Badoglio and the League must give assurances that during such an armistice Ethiopia would refrain from hostilities.
Throughout the ensuing discussion the same divergence as in previous [Page 123] meetings continued between the British and the French. The entire atmosphere was that the committee members were reconciled to material events deterring the issue.
Boncour proposed that Madariaga get in touch with the Ethiopian delegation and exercise pressure upon it to veto its present terms that the negotiations take place through the intermediary of the League.
France was strongly supported by Poland and Ecuador and particularly by Rumania, the Rumanian representative stating that the Committee should “consider facts” and permit peace to be established.
Eden protested against this view declaring that pressure should not be placed on a victim of aggression.
Madariaga requested that his mandate be clarified whether it was desired that the negotiations take place within the framework of the League or whether he was granted freedom of action to discuss peace on any terms.
It was decided that Madariaga should discuss with the Ethiopian delegation the question of Ethiopia modifying its conditions respecting negotiations procedure but without employing pressure and report the results to a meeting of the Committee tomorrow.
2. A member of the Italian delegation informs me that should Ethiopia accept the Italian terms for the negotiation procedures, they would state to the Ethiopian plenipotentiary the conditions for a cessation of hostilities in which Ethiopia must acquiesce before negotiations of a general settlement could begin. He added that not until such a time would these conditions be made known. I have good reason to believe however, that the conditions which the Italians have in view are substantially those described in the latter part of my telegram No. 120.
3. Despatches received by representatives here from their diplomatic missions in London express the view that the British are employing the poison gas issue to the greatest extent possible to assist in maintaining support for the Government in its present position against Rome on the part of British public opinion and also more generally to rouse world opinion against Italy.
A member of the British delegation informs me that the Government is receiving more letters in support of its position than at any time since the beginning of the hostilities in Africa. He inquired of me as to the reaction in the United States to the Italian use of poison gas.
4. Diplomatic opinion here inclines to the view that any financial or economic weakening of Italy is not a factor sufficient to affect the situation in its present phase. Expression of opinion here has now become almost entirely open in Assembly, the issue as being primarily [Page 124] between Great Britain and Italy. In this respect, the only measure short of war, which it is seen the British could employ to prevent a probable Italian control of Ethiopia, would lie in some turn in the European situation which would suggest to Rome the necessity of bargaining between her African and European positions.