Your telegram 5th December. [1] Commonwealth Government on 16th
November [2] requested Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs [3]
to instruct British Ambassador at Rome [4] to inform the Italian
Governmerit that His Majesty's Government in the Commonwealth of
Australia accorded de jure recognition of the incorporation of
Abyssinia into the Royal Italian Empire. On same day Prime
Minister [5] made a statement in Parliament in which he referred
to the intention of the United Kingdom Government to accredit
British Ambassador at Rome to the King of Italy, Emperor of
Abyssinia, mentioned the interest of Australia in the preservation
of a peaceful and friendly situation in the Mediterranean and
announced Commonwealth Government's decision as set out above. [6]
Letter was also forwarded as matter of courtesy only to Consul-
General for Italy at Sydney [7] intimating the Commonwealth
Government's decision.