811.24 Raw Materials/990

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State

The British Ambassador called at his request. He read from a memorandum a statement by his Government to the effect that Italy is stocked up on a considerable amount of important commodities, such as toluyl, molybdenum, a number of other alloys, and still other important commodities needed for war purposes; that the British Government is of the opinion that this has been done for the benefit of the Axis, especially for Italy, if and when she enters the war; that today different cargoes of these and other commodities are going forward from the United States to Italy. The plea of the British Government is that, in view of the virtual certainty of Italy going to war unless diverted in some way, this country should by embargo or its equivalent let Rome understand that we could not undertake to ship further to her the foregoing commodities, but that we were reserving all of them for emergency purposes. I replied to the Ambassador that I could not comment either pro or con with respect to the matter, but would, along with my associates, give it consideration.

C[ordell] H[ull]