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Telegram from the Australian Government to [Dominions Office] passing on message from Acting Prime Minister of Australia [Joseph Chifley] to WSC rejoicing at the Allied victory in the Italian campaign and asking WSC to convey Australian appreciation to [Field Marshal Sir Harold] Alexander [later 1st Lord Alexander of Tunis, Supreme Allied Commander Mediterranean Theatre], his commanders and troops.

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Telegram from [Admiral] P Voulgaris, Prime Minister of Greece, (Athens) to WSC (10 Downing Street) congratulating the armies under the command of Field Marshal Sir Harold Alexander [later 1st Lord Alexander of Tunis, Supreme Allied Commander Mediterranean Theatre] on behalf of the people of Greece on the Allied victory in Italy and commenting on Greece's involvement.

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Telegram from [Admiral] P Voulgaris, Prime Minister of Greece, to WSC (10 Downing Street) congratulating the armies under the command of Field Marshal Sir Harold Alexander [later 1st Lord Alexander of Tunis, Supreme Allied Commander Mediterranean Theatre] on behalf of the people of Greece on the Allied victory in Italy and commenting on Greece's involvement. [Carbon copy].

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Letter from Maximilian Lobkowicz [Czechoslovakian Ambassador to Great Britain] (Czechoslovak Embassy, 8 Grosvenor Place [London]) to WSC conveying a delayed message from [Dr Eduard] Benes [President of Czechoslovakia, later Czech Republic and Slovakia] on the victory of the Allied Armies in Italy. [signed].

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Draft message from WSC to Ivanoe Bonomi, President of the Council of Ministers, Rome [Italian Prime Minister] thanking him for his VE-Day message. [written by ?Nicholas Henderson, Assistant Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary; annotated by Prime Minister's Private Secretary John Peck and WSC's Secretary Patrick Kinna].

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Telegram from Ivanoe Bonomi [Italian Prime Minister] to WSC on the victory in Europe and the reaction in Italy.

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Letter from WSC to Count Nicolo Carandini [Italian Ambassador to Great Britain] thanking him for his letter and congratulations. [Carbon copy].

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Draft letter from WSC to Italian Government Representative [Count Nicolo Carandini, Italian Ambassador to Great Britain] thanking him for his letter and congratulations. [annotated by ?John Colville, Prime Minister's Private Secretary].

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Letter from the Nicolo Carandini [Italian Ambassador to Great Britain] (14 Three King's Yard, Davies Street, London) to WSC sending his congratulations and expressing his admiration for WSC's consideration towards Italy. [signed].

Scope and Contents Letter from Admiral of the Fleet 1st Lord Fisher, (Hotel Excelsior, Naples [Italy]) to WSC [First Lord of the Admiralty] on the departure of 15,000 Italian troops to Tripoli [? Libya]: Fisher comments that no Italian newspapers had "given the show away" and wonders if British newspapers would do the same. He asks WSC if he could trust Ralph Blumenfeld, Editor of the Daily Express, H A Gwynne, Editor of the Morning Post, or Leslie Cornford of the Standard, suggesting that if war broke out,...

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Letter from Robert Bower MP to WSC, on question of two Maltese-British subjects imprisoned in Tripoli on charges of political defeatism and vilification of the Italian nation. Stating that he felt the sentences to be savage, and that he intended to raise the matter in the House of Commons. Asking for WSC's advice.

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Letter from WSC to Admiral Sir Lewis Bayley, regretting that Bayley had been unable to attend dinner at the Navigation School [carbon].

Scope and Contents Letter from WSC to Lord Cranborne (later 5th Lord Salisbury), on Abyssinia [later Ethiopia]. Commenting that in Aug 1935 he had told Samuel Hoare (later Lord Templewood), Foreign Secretary, that he was "justified in going as far with the League of Nations against Italy as he could carry France", but that he should not put any pressure on France. That he had consistently advised the Government not to take a leading part or put themselves forward too prominently, mainly because of the...

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Letter from Violet Pearman, PS to WSC to Commander Robert Bower MP, thanks for letting WSC know about the fate of Maltese British subjects imprisoned in Tripoli on charges of political defeatism and vilification of the Italian nation. Stating that WSC hoped that Bower would keep the question alive [carbon].

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Letter from Lord Cranborne, (later 5th Lord Salisbury), Cranborne, Salisbury, to WSC, regretting that WSC found his comments on speech unfair. Stating that he felt that WSC's policy of not taking the lead against Italian aggression was not practical, that Britain was by far the greatest nation in the League of Nations, and was bound to take a prominent part, and that the Cabinet had taken the only possible course of action under difficult circumstances.

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Letter from Lord Rothermere, Hotel Metropole, Monte Carlo to WSC, "What price Italy now?".

Scope and Contents Letter from Harold, 1st Lord Rothermere, Monte Carlo to WSC, thanks for sending cutting from the Evening Standard. Reporting that he had descended on the Editorial Department "like a hundred of bricks" and that he did not think that there would be a similar indiscretion for a very long time. Congratulating himself on his prediction that the Abyssinian War would be a very short one and commenting that in May or June a victorious Italy would be "demanding explanations from the British...

Scope and Contents Letter from WSC to Andre Corbin, French Ambassador to Britain, commenting that the great bulk of the Conservative Party were "inclined to cheer the so-called Spamnish rebels". That if France sent military support to the present Spanish Government, and the Germans and Italians supported the other side the dominent forces in Britain would be pleased with Germany and Italy and estranged from France. Stating that he was sure that absolutely rigid neutrality was the only correct and safe...

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Letter from Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Villiers (Folly Court, Wokingham [Berkshire]) to WSC, on the stupidity of supporting Abyssinia [later Ethiopia]. He describes the failure of a project of his own in Abyssinia, the weakness of the Emperor Ras Tafari, the lack of civilization in Abyssinia, and the need to support Italy in civilizing the country, which should be kicked out of the League of Nations. Manuscript.

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Letter from Sir Abe Bailey (38 Bryanston Square [London]) to WSC, advising him that if he is going to write to Benito Mussolini, now is the time to do it. He adds that " H E [?] is very unhappy & all Italy is against him". Manuscript.

Scope and Contents Letter from Frederick Guest [Conservative MP for Drake Division, Plymouth, Devon] (19 Berkeley Street [London]) to WSC, commenting on his letter to the Press Association, [? and to Sir Harry Goschen, Chairman of Epping Division Conservative Association, Essex, on India] and hoping that he is "extending the 'glad hand' even to those junior Conservatives [? such as Guest himself] who were not able to support you over the Indian debate. It would be nice to get back on to the old alignment of...

Scope and Contents Letter from Sir Abe Bailey (38 Bryanston Square [London]) to WSC, saying how proud he is of WSC and of a letter written by him: "the letter is truly wonderful - it will do good throughout the world - such a noble sentiment expressed in wonderful language". Bailey also predicts that Benito Mussolini will be able to attack Egypt from Abyssinia [later Ethiopia], although he has heard that it will take Italy 5 years to conquer the Abyssinians; he thinks it will actually take 6 months. He also...

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Letter from [WSC] to [Amy], Mrs Frederick Guest, thanking her for her letter and introduction to the Duke of Spoleto. He explains that if he intruded [by going to see Benito Mussolini] as she wishes, he would only be exposing himself "to public snub in Italy, and abuse here for my officiousness"; he adds that he feels as she does about "the disastrous consequences of this threatened war". Unsigned copy.

Scope and Contents Letter from Leo Amery (112 Eaton Square [London]) to WSC, congratulating him on his letter to [Sir Harry Goschen, Chairman of Epping Division Conservative Association, Essex] on India, while fearing that other troubles will soon relegate that question to one side. Amery expresses his concerns about Abyssinia [later Ethiopia]; there is to be a great demonstration about it in [the League of Nations] "not with any hope of really succeeding, but in order to impress our public at home with the...

Scope and Contents Letter from J L Garvin [Editor of the Observer] (Gregories, Beaconsfield [Buckinghamshire]) to WSC, commenting on the bleak solitary fight that he has been waging, and his fears for the country and Empire over the next few years. He has given Stanley Baldwin [the Prime Minister] a memorandum urging him to make WSC responsible for securing air parity [with Germany], and adds that a crisis has already occurred with Italy, commenting that "Never was Government in this country quite so blind....