1) Mussolini responds to a letter from the US President discussing Jewish emigration and states that organizing Jewish emigration to Ethiopia is not possible due to Italy's general attitude towards Jews and their circles. 2) He argues that the Jewish question exists across Europe and must be addressed as a general European issue to solve constructively. 3) Mussolini believes the most practical solution is creating a true Jewish state in some part of the world, as the experiment of a Jewish Home in Palestine failed due to unfavorable historic conditions, but the idea of a state elsewhere should not be abandoned.

1. (T1UNSLA1'IOIII)
Chief ot the Goverruaent
Rolle, Januar;r U , 1939, XVII
Dear Mr. President:
Ambassador Phillips on his return trom Washington
handed me your letter and I have disouesed with him the
various points railed b;r ;rou in the letter and in the
memorandum whioh wae annexed thereto, He will have
intor•d ;rou, oertainl;r, ot our convereation and ;rou
are therefore alread;r acquainted with my point ot view,
In eo tar ae Ethiopia ie concerned, it is Dot po..ible
to consider the organitation ot Jewish emigration to that
region. Apart from ever;r other oonaideration, the
general attitude ot Jewish oirolee toward Italy 1e not
such ae to make 1t advisable t or the Italian Government
to receive on any ot ita territory large numbers ot
Jewish illllligrante,
It ie a question, moreover, not onl;r ot proble•a
arising in connection with the situation ot the Jews in
Ital;r or in eome other country, but ot problems which are
general in character, tince the Jewish question ex1ets ,
in various forma , in almost all European oountr1ee and
must be considered tneretore as a general European
question in order t o eolve it along constructive linea,
In

2. - 2-
In ay opinion the only oountriee which can receive
and settle large numbers ot Jewish i111111igrants are those
wnich have at their disposal within their national
boundaries extensive areae sparsely populated and With
large re1ouroee which oan be adequately developed and
exploited. These countries alone because ot their ex-
tent and wealth are, in tact, able to give employment to
large numbers of Jews who may have the intention ot
leaving the countries ot Europe in which they are estab-
liebed at the present time. On t he other hand emaller
overseas countries with .are limited resources might also
be able to receive , ln available areas, a certain number
ot Jews, provided the emigration is rationally organized
by international agreemente.
But that which I have always oonsidered and still
consider to be the most practical solution is the creation
in soJDB part ot the world ot a true and proper Jewieb
state. The experiment ot the JewUh Home in Palestine
has tailed on account ot historic oond1t1ons which were
abeolutely unfavorable t o the creation ot a Jewish state
1n Palestine, but the 10ea ot creating euoh a state else-
where should not be abandoned. Even though this state were
to be small in territory, the Jew• nevertheless would
t1nd

3. -~
find therein, as is the case with all other peoples, their
center and baeie of national existence. The Jews, having
become oititene or thie etate, would thus have a nationality
ot t heir own and their situation defined, and, furthermore ,
when reeid1ng in other countries, they would receive
trom their own state the assistance and protection to which
all foreigners are normally entitled trom their respective
states. Only in this way would the Jewish problem in
Europe cease to be the insoluble problem or a minority -
the only one - Which is deprived or a nationality.
These are the ideae which I explained to Ambe.eeador
Phillips and which I have bristly eummarited tor you
here. I, t or my part, shall always be glad to study
wnatever concrete plan you will have taken under considera-
t ion in the meantime, convinced ae I am that a general
eolution or the Jewish problem on a praoticsl baeie ie
highly desirable.
I take t hie occaeion, aw dear Mr. President ,
to thank you tor the oourteoue expressions which you
conveyed to me in your letter and to send you _, beet
Wishes and assurances or my highest ooneideration.
l.!USSOLINI