An item reported that the American ambassador at Paris Hugh Gibson (1) left Rome towards Geneva to be present at the opening of the prepatory disarmament conference. He stated to have on that moment more trust in a Franco-Italian agreement since the London Conference was usual.(2) In Italian sources seemed to believe that the policy chosen by Gibson had the best chance to be successful if France and Italy agreed with this choice. At Geneva were to be discussions about the contents of such an agreement. The optimism of Gibson and the Italian minister for foreign affairs Grandi (3) seemed to suggest that Italy was willing to accept a new point of view. Paris believed that this new point of view just meant that Italy would wait until the naval treaty of London was ended in 1936. Several French newspapers thought that the agreement nothing more meant that the arms race between France and Italy continued something which was unacceptable for France. Despite this mistrust was France willing to sign an agreement with Italy. The correspondent of the Parisian edition of the American newspaper Chicago Tribune at Rome wrote that Gibson possessed an Italian proposal to stop naval shipbuilding until 1936 of France did the same. According to the same proposal were both countries also obliged to inform each other about interim naval programs.
Notes
1. Hugh Simons Gibson (16 August 1883 Los Angeles-12 December 1954) was involved in disarmament discussion in the years 1925-1932 when he was in US foreign service from which he returned in 1938. Between 1927-1933 and in 1937-1938 was he ambassador to Belgium and minister to Luxemburg. He was delegate to the London Naval Conference.
2. On 22 April 1930 signed England, Japan, France, Italy and the USA the so-called London Naval Treaty which became effective on 27 October of the same year. The treaty was a result of the naval conference at London between 21 January and 22 April that year which discussed the effects of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922.
3. Dino Grandi (4 June 1895 Mordano-21 May 1988 Bologna), Conte di Mordano, minister of foreign affairs between 12 September 1929 and 20 July 1932 and between 1932 and 1939 ambassador to England and between 30 November 1939 and 2 August 1943 minister of Justice.
Notes
1. Hugh Simons Gibson (16 August 1883 Los Angeles-12 December 1954) was involved in disarmament discussion in the years 1925-1932 when he was in US foreign service from which he returned in 1938. Between 1927-1933 and in 1937-1938 was he ambassador to Belgium and minister to Luxemburg. He was delegate to the London Naval Conference.
2. On 22 April 1930 signed England, Japan, France, Italy and the USA the so-called London Naval Treaty which became effective on 27 October of the same year. The treaty was a result of the naval conference at London between 21 January and 22 April that year which discussed the effects of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922.
3. Dino Grandi (4 June 1895 Mordano-21 May 1988 Bologna), Conte di Mordano, minister of foreign affairs between 12 September 1929 and 20 July 1932 and between 1932 and 1939 ambassador to England and between 30 November 1939 and 2 August 1943 minister of Justice.
