346B.115 Standard Oil Co./22: Telegram
The Chargé in Italy (Reed) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 8—11:35 a.m.]
1076. My telegram No. 1054, November 2.44 Acknowledgment dated November 6 of my note to Ciano of November 1 concerning bombing of Sudan Interior Mission is signed by Prunas, Director General of Transoceanic Affairs, and reads in translation as follows:
“Detailed information in the premises has been requested of the competent military authorities.
However, as it relates to facts supposed to have occurred more than 2 months ago in a distant locality it is very probable that a report on the matter cannot be received for some time.
Much more expeditious procedure on the part of North America [sic] would have been to have requested information concerning the bombardments in question simultaneously from Cairo and from Rome.
That among other things would probably have resulted in a composition different from your note of November 1 which in its concluding portion contains criticisms of the Italian armed forces which cannot but be rejected in toto.”