762.94/404: Telegram
The Ambassador in Italy (Phillips) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 10—6:40 p.m.]
306. My No. 303, August 9, 7 p.m.59 Yesterday afternoon at 5 o’clock Shiratori, Japanese Ambassador to Italy, gave an interview to the Rome Associated Press correspondent in which he asserted that a defensive military alliance between Japan, Germany and Italy had been fully agreed upon in principle although certain details remained to be worked out. He stated that such an alliance had been decided in Tokyo between the three powers but declined to predict when a final agreement would be reached or when the alliance would be signed. On Tuesday August 8 Shiratori gave an interview along practically similar lines to the Rome representative of the United Press.
My conversation with Count Ciano reported in telegram No. 303 took place at 6 o’clock yesterday afternoon when as will be recalled I was assured that the Italian Government was not contemplating any steps toward bringing Japan into the German-Italian alliance. Ciano saw Shiratori at 7 o’clock that same evening. This afternoon the Soviet Chargé d’Affaires saw Ciano and brought up Shiratori’s United Press interview of August 8th. Ciano categorically denied the statements attributed to Shiratori and asserted that Italy was taking no steps toward including Japan in its pact with Germany and that Shiratori had made no new proposals to him on the subject. He added that he believed that the Tokyo Government itself was divided on the advisability of concluding a hard and fast pact with the Axis Powers and that the Italian Ambassador in Tokyo had advised him to that effect. He stated that if Russia allied itself with England and France, the situation might be different for all powers concerned and that in the case of a war between the Western democracies and the Axis a Japanese-German-Italian alliance might prove “automatic”. At the moment however nothing had been agreed upon and he repeated Italy was taking no steps in the matter. The Soviet Chargé received the impression that Shiratori’s activities are embarrassing to Ciano.
Ciano leaves for Salzburg at 7:10 this evening and expects to return at the beginning of next week.
- Not printed.↩