865.4016/36
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
The Italian Ambassador called to say goodbye before returning to Italy for the summer. He seemed to have nothing on his mind except to endeavor earnestly to explain away the reports that his government [Page 585] is undertaking to expel the Jews from Italy on account of their Race. He was very insistent that despite confused and misleading reports, his government itself is not a party to any such movement. I referred in reply to the temporary conditions in Germany, which I said were of course utterly abhorred by almost everybody in this country, adding that our people go on the theory that the German pendulum swung from one extreme growing out of the Versailles Treaty and French relations—to the opposite extreme—of temporary abnormality, which included all of these unthinkable and abhorrent practices—and that our people are assuming that they will swing back to a normal, sane course; that sooner or later nations undertaking to live by the sword, with non-observance of the principles of world order to large extent, will decide on a permanent policy of either the sword or a course of peace and order under law such as many of our countries are pursuing. I said that when any government thus decides, it will have no difficulty in making clear to us and other peacefully disposed nations that it has made such decision in earnest; that of course we are looking forward in the earnest hope that these possibilities may soon eventuate.