740.0011 European War 1939/33034/5
The British Ambassador (
Lothian
) to President Roosevelt
Washington
, May 26,
1940.
Dear Mr. President: I enclose two copies
of the proposal for a communication by yourself to Mussolini which I
discussed with you last night. I am also sending one to Mr. Hull,
though I am not certain it will reach him before he sees you. The
text has been agreed with the French Ambassador.
Believe me [etc.]
P. S. I presume that the U. S. A. would participate in this
discussion to the extent that its own interests were
engaged.
L
[Enclosure]
The Allied Governments suggest that the President on his own
initiative should ask Signor Mussolini for the reasons which
apparently induce him to contemplate an immediate entry into the
war against the Allies and that he should further state that if
Signor Mussolini will inform him of his grievances or claims
against the Allies he will [Page 710] immediately communicate them to the Allied
Governments in order to leave nothing undone to prevent an
extension of the war.
They suggest that the President should inform Signor Mussolini
that he had reason to believe that the attitude of the Allies
towards the Italian Government can be defined as follows:
- (a)
- The Allied Governments are aware that the Italian
Government entertains certain grievances in regard to
Italian position in the Mediterranean
- (b)
- That the Allied Governments are prepared to take into
consideration all reasonable Italian claims and to
attempt to reach an agreement with Italy at once for a
settlement which would come into force as soon as the
war was ended.
- (c)
- The Allied Governments would welcome Italian
participation at the peace conference with a status
equal to that of the belligerents.
Signor Mussolini would thus be invited by the President to notify
him for transmission to the Allies of the claims of Italy the
fulfilment of which would in his view ensure the establishment
in the Mediterranean of a new order guaranteeing to Italy the
satisfaction of her legitimate aspirations in that sea. If the
negotiations succeeded the President would then formally record:
- (a)
- The agreement thus arrived at
- (b)
- The undertaking of the Allies to execute the agreement
at the end of the war
- (c)
- The assurance of Signor Mussolini that the claims of
Italy would be satisfied by the execution of this
agreement. The agreement thus arrived at to be dependent
of course on Italy not entering the war against the
Allies.
