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227 Mr J. A. Lyons, Prime Minister, to Sir Earle Page, Minister for Commerce (in London)

Cablegram unnumbered 6 July 1938,

PERSONAL AND SECRET

Information recently received from despatches and cablegrams
indicates a deterioration in Anglo-Italian relations which is
causing grave concern to the Commonwealth Government. We feel that
implementation of Anglo-Italian Agreement [1] is of paramount
importance in the present international situation, and we would
like you to urge the United Kingdom Government that everything
should be done to bring it into effect at earliest possible moment
especially as it appears to us that slow progress in negotiations
over Sudeten question may lead at any moment to a crisis.

LYONS

1 The British Government stipulated that 'a settlement of the
Spanish question' was a pre-requisite for the coming into force of
the Anglo-Italian Agreement of 16 April 1938. In June 1938 the
Italian Government sought the immediate implementation of the
Agreement but showed no willingness to withdraw Italian troops and
material assisting General Franco in the Spanish Civil War.


[AA : A981, ITALY 30, ii]
Last Updated: 11 September 2013
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