urgent messages," be stricken out and that there be substituted therefor the following: "Therefore the United States and the Italian Governments, considering that there is no other direct system of communication between the two countries, will insure transmission by priority over all other messages between the two countries, of their official urgent messages." This substitution is proposed for the reason that as paragraph 3, as submitted by your Government, stands, it is capable of being interpreted to mean that it provides for an absolute priority in handling Italian official messages over all others. In view of the presence of an American Army in France, communication with France is of the utmost importance, and this Government could not therefore feel justified in engaging itself to any agreement which would give priority to messages to and from Italy over messages to and from France. Since it may happen, should all cables to Europe be cut, that communication with France, as well as with England, would be of greater importance than communication with Italy, it is the view of both the Navy Department and the Department of State that the possibility that cables to Europe may be cut at any time, in which event the radio telegraphic service would be called upon to handle all official messages, naval, military and diplomatic, should be kept in view in the negotiation by the United States of any international agreement having in view radio communication with any of the Allied countries of Europe. I am requested by the Acting Secretary of the Navy to assure you of the Navy Department's wish that the suggested changes in the proposed protocol should not be construed as discouraging or objecting to direct radiotelegraphic service with Italy. As a matter of fact, as Your Excellency is aware, such direct radio communication with Italy has already been arranged by the Navy Department, and official messages are being exchanged daily through this service in an expeditious and satisfactory manner. The Navy Department is pleased to be able to provide for this service but, as stated above, the possible future needs of the radiotelegraphic service with the other Allied countries in Europe must be kept in view. Accept [etc.] File No. 865.74/3 For the Secretary of State: The Italian Ambassador (Macchi di Cellere) to the Secretary of No. 707 State [Translation] WASHINGTON, February 28, 1918. MR. SECRETARY OF STATE: By your note No. 384, dated the 14th instant, Your Excellency was pleased to inform me that the Depart ment of State having given, jointly with that of the Navy, careful consideration to the draft of protocol submitted by me on January 16 for the conclusion of an agreement between Italy and the United States to regulate radiotelegraphic communications between the two countries, proposed two variants, the one in article 2 and the other in article 3. Upon considering in turn the two proposed variants, I have the honor to inform Your Excellency in the name of the Royal Government, that in view of the arguments adduced by Your Excellency, I readily accept the two variants and have no objection to (1) substituting 1 The Government of the United States and the Royal Government thus being now in full accord as to the text of the protocol to be concluded between the two countries, I am at Your Excellency's disposal for the signature of the said instrument on such day and at such place as you may be pleased to designate to me. To that end, I have the honor to transmit herewith to Your Excellency the English and Italian texts of the protocol that are to be signed by the Italian and United States representatives, in order that Your Excellency may judge of their equivalence.2 Accept [etc.] V. MACCHI DI CELLERE Treaty Series No. 631-A Protocol between the United States and Italy Relative to Radio Service, Signed March 27, 1918 PROTOCOL between the United States and Italy relative to ItaloAmerican Radio Service. The undersigned, representatives of the Governments of the United States and Italy met the 27th day of March nineteen hundred and eighteen, at 11:30 a. m., at the State Department, Washington, D. C., and agreed upon the following articles: ARTICLE I The Government of the United States and the Government of Italy, considering that there are no direct submarine cables connecting the two Countries, think it is most urgent to establish immediately a regular radio-service between the United States and Italy. 1 2 Substitutions as in the Secretary's note, supra. Italian text not printed; English text of signed copy printed infra. ARTICLE II The Government of the United States and the Government of Italy acquiesce in designating one American and one Italian wireless station of sufficient power to insure the radio communications between the two Countries. These stations will be determined upon and respectively notified by both parties in the agreement mentioned in Article VIII of this protocol. ARTICLE III The radio line cannot be considered a duplicate of submarine cable route. Therefore, the Government of the United States and the Government of Italy, considering that there is no other direct system of communication between the two Countries, will insure transmission by priority over all other messages between the two Countries of their official urgent messages. ARTICLE IV In principle, radiograms regularly handled shall be limited in character to official, political, military, or naval urgent communications. This does not prevent the regular handling of official government press information. ARTICLE V This new transatlantic radio line is to be used also to insure communications with Italy in case the cable lines by way of France and England should prove to be insufficient. ARTICLE VI Official radiograms shall be in cipher; however radiograms conveying only official press information will be transmitted unciphered. ARTICLE VII The United States and Italian authorities who are authorized to employ radio communications are the following: Authorities residing in Washington: The Department of State; the Department of War; the Department of the Navy; the Italian Embassy; the Italian Military Attaché; the Italian Naval Attaché; and the Director of Naval Communications. Authorities residing in Rome: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Ministry of War; the Ministry of Marine; the Ministry of Posts and Telegrams; the Embassy of the United States; the Military Attaché of the United States; and the Naval Attaché of the United States. ARTICLE VIII The technical and practical conditions under which the United States and Italy will employ this radio line will be determined in a further agreement between the communication services of the respective Governments. It is, of course, understood that systematic trials have to be made to perfect the various conditions, specially to determine the hours of service, in order to improve this important service. [SEAL] ROBERT LANSING [SEAL] MACCHI DI CELLERE 59665-33-54 |