865.014/6–1747: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Gallman) to the Secretary of State
3300. Itcol 6 from Bagby. Stafford informs me that although the British do not wish to take a definite position on the disposition of the Italian Colonies until commission has submitted its report, their thinking has undergone some evolution with regard to Somalia. They have abandoned the idea of Greater Somalia, due to lack of enthusiasm with which their proposal was greeted in the CFM and the impossibility of inducing Ethiopia to cede the Ogaden.1 They still believe that British trusteeship would be the best solution and would advocate a rectification of the Ethiopian frontier so that it would follow the boundaries of tribal areas. They believe they can obtain Ethiopian consent to this latter.
They are still thinking of a division of Eritrea between the Sudan and Ethiopia without trusteeship, which they feel would be too complicated for so small an area. He has not yet mentioned British opinions about Libya.
Sent to Dept as 3300, repeated Paris as 333 for Utter. [Bagby.]
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Telegram 3419, Itcol 10, June 23, from London, added the following comment on this matter:
↩“British are still interested in British trusteeship over Italian Somaliland but abandoned idea of joining British Somaliland and the Ogaden with it in a larger trust territory. We now learn that the British Treasury may oppose British trusteeship even over smaller area because of expense.” (865.014/6–2347)