765.84/4056: Telegram
The Ambassador in Italy (Long) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 8—2:50 p.m.]
100. Your 28, April 7, 2 p.m. I have brought to the attention of Mr. Suvich the institutions referred to and described in the last part of your telegram and furnished him a list of the names of the places.
[Page 53]As regards the first paragraph, the British Ambassador called on me this morning to request that I join him in representations to the Italian Government stating that the Belgian, French and German Governments had agreed to do so but that he had not approached Egypt. He also said Lindsay had been instructed to request from you instructions for me to join.
I replied that Suvich last fall had given me definite assurance of their intention to abstain from bombing those open cities (see my 731, October 17, 8 p.m.26); that there had been no violation of that as far as known and the Ambassador himself agreed that the bombing of the airfield at Addis Ababa and the destruction of two planes there was a legitimate operation; that to revert to the same proposal and to again request assurances would indicate that my Government had no confidence in the original assurances of the Italian Government; that was not the case with my Government; and that I thought it advisable to refrain from casting doubt upon the intentions of the Italian Government in the premises by making renewed representations.