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Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
The British Ambassador called presumably to pay his respects. He was not encouraged about the outlook in Europe. He had no idea as to when the treaty-breaking countries might subside or at least restrict the scope of their lawless aims and purposes. He said that since February, exchanges of views had been going on between Italy and Albania, the exact nature of which he did not quite understand; [Page 398] that Italy on two or three occasions had assured his Government and also the Greek Government that it had no designs on Corfu or on Greece and that the last assurance took place after the occupation of Albania. I asked the Ambassador if he could tell me when to believe Hitler and Mussolini. Perhaps I should not record his reply. At any rate, it was to the effect that they give no intimation as to whether and when they may strike and when and where they may strike in the future; that, therefore, the world must continue to be subjected to the present state of uncertainty, nervousness and threats of danger.