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me to know privately that he had gained a very clear tin-
pression that Hitler had no such delusion with regard
to the German-Soviet Alliance as had Ribbentrop. He told
me that he had gained-the positive belief that. Hitler was
using the Russian arrangement to his own interest, with
the expectation that the time would come when he (Hitler)
could turn against Russia, and secure back from Russia
the positions Germany had given away in the Baltic States
and through the cession of Finnish territory to the Soviets.
He said that no peace proposals had been made by Ger-
many, and that Germany had not requested Mussolini to present
any suggestions for peace proposals to the Allied
governments.
He said, however, very emphatically that he believed
that the time might come in the not distant future when
Hitler would be receptive to the consideration of a nego-
tiated peace, and he assured me that he would in such
event get in touch immediately with the Government of the
United States through Ambassador Phillips in order that
we might know what his own feeling at such time might be.
He stated that if such an opportunity arose he believed
that the initiative should be taken by the President of
the United States, using Italy as its "point of support"
in Europe. He said that for that reason he trusted that
we would continue the very friendly and frank relationship
which had been created as a result of my visit to Rome,
since he believed that a closer friendly understanding
between Italy and the United States was not only to the
advantage of Europe in the event that any opportunity for
peace arose. I told Ciano that I warmly reciprocated the
opinions he had expressed, and that I felt sure that he
would