A thinly-veiled suggestion that President Roosevelt places Germany in a class by itself in the matter of racial and religious oppression and that he is hopeful for tolerance in Italy came today at the end of the President’s conference with the Ambassadors to Berlin and Rome.
Leaving the Little White House after the second four-hour parley, Ambassador William Phillips said he was returning directly to Washington and would sail for Italy to return to his Rome post on Dec. 10 or 14. This was interpreted by observers as meaning that the administration is not as displeased with Fascist restrictions on Italian Jews as was first indicated.
From Ambassador Hugh R. Wilson came no information whatever on his discussions with the Chief Executive. Neither did he have any idea when he might return to Berlin. He indicated, moreover, that the President probably would bide his time and not make any immediate announcement concerning his decision with the ambassadors.
It had been supposed that the President would take advantage of the opportunity offered by his press conference tomorrow to delineate the administration’s attitude toward Germany. But on this, all Mr. Wilson would say was: “I’m afraid I must be discouraging even on that.” If Mr. Wilson’s theory should prove correct and the President fails to make any statement on his discussions on racial and religious oppression abroad it may mean that he intends to await a further crystallization of opinion in Germany and Italy before proceeding further.
The reaction of official Germany to his recent press conference statement condemning the looting of Jewish shops and violence against German Jews following the shooting of a Reich diplomat in Paris was one of the things President Roosevelt wanted especially to learn at first hand from Mr. Wilson.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
