701.6511/817a: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Italy (Kirk)

70. Your 217, June 18, 7 p.m. On June 1 we informed the Italian Ambassador here that the President was considering the appointment of a new Ambassador to Rome and that we desired information as to whether any question would be raised if his letters of credence were in exactly the same form as those of the present Ambassador, namely, addressed to the King of Italy. Since informally presenting this question to Rosso, the Italian Government has asked for the agrément of Mr. Suvich as Ambassador here.

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Although we feel there will be no difficulty regarding Suvich’s letters of credence since, from your telegram under reference, there is no intention on the part of the Italian Government to involve any question of recognition of sovereignty over Ethiopia in the matter of an additional title of the King of Italy, we would prefer to have the question of the form of the President’s letter of credence of a new Ambassador decided before giving final consideration to the agrément of Mr. Suvich.

You will understand that the whole question would be simplified for us by the acceptance of letters from the President to the King of Italy in the same form as presented by Mr. Long.

Hull