760F.62/1225: Telegram
The Ambassador in Italy (Phillips) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 28—1:51 p.m.]
268. Department’s telegram No. 91, September 27, 3 p.m. Count Ciano accompanied me to the Duce this afternoon and I duly presented the President’s letter. The Duce asked me to express his appreciation to the President and to say that he had every reason to hope now that a pacific solution would be reached. He then told me the following: 2 o’clock this afternoon had been the hour fixed for the commencement of hostilities between the German and Czech armies. At 10:30 this morning Lord Perth brought to him a message from Chamberlain which had so altered the situation in the Duce’s mind that he had immediately called the Italian Ambassador in Berlin on the telephone and asked him to request the Fuehrer to permit further time for the consideration of the proposals before the opening of hostilities. The Fuehrer had responded and had given another 24 hours for consideration. The Duce emphasized that there had been only 2½ hours left to reach the Fuehrer and for the Fuehrer to give the necessary instructions to the army to delay the opening of hostilities at the appointed hour of 2.
In reply to my inquiry as to whether the period of 24 hours could be extended the Duce said that it could probably be prolonged. He added that an agreement had been reached to hold a new conference which would take place tomorrow at Munich but as he was at this moment giving his attention to matters connected with it he was not in a position to give me details. The Duce added that I was the first person to be advised of the foregoing.
Count Ciano told me later that the conference would be representative of the four powers and that it would be an exceedingly important one—indicating that it might have wider consequences than the settlement of the immediate problem. He seemed particularly happy at the outcome and the part which the Italian Government had played in preventing the opening hostilities today.