365D.1163/63: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Italy (Phillips)
54. Your 152, April 9, 6 p.m. and 153, April 9, 7 p.m. The Department approves of your prompt action in this matter and trusts you will be able to obtain at the earliest possible moment a full report on the situation. This is all the more necessary in view of the fact that many rumors regarding the incident, some probably inaccurate, have already reached this country and will doubtless be given considerable publicity in the press in the absence of a satisfactory official statement of the facts. You may wish to inform the Foreign Minister in this sense.
You should in any case make it clear to Count Ciano that in the event these American citizens have not already been expelled from Ethiopia, this Government expects that they will be shown every proper consideration and given ample time to settle their affairs. You should add that in any future cases of this kind it would be in the best interest of both governments if this Government received prior notification of the intentions of the competent Italian authorities and the reasons therefor.