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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Edward N. Hurley, Chairman, Shipping Board, to Raymond B. Stevens, Vice-Chairman, Shipping Board, and Representative, Allied Maritime Transport Council

CABLEGRAM RECEIVED    April <22, 1918.> 07023    RES

Ser. No. SB 81.

Origin Opnav Washington

     C-3  23 April

     31 ADR.

VERY SECRET.

Simsadus.

Board’s Navy 81 For Stevens from Hurley. Italian Ambassador1 notified our State Department food situation in Italy desperate even in Military and request State Department to assist relief. It is my understanding Maritime Council is fully informed as to food necessity of Ally as cooperate with War Council to care food emergency.2 Is this correct and what information have on Italian food situation.3 18022.

Benson.            

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B.

Footnote 1: Count Vincenzo Macchi di Cellere.

Footnote 2: Generally speaking, the food situation in Italy “was not as good as Britain but it was still better than in Germany, not to speak of Austria, Bulgaria or the Ottoman Empire where people starved to death.” Jay Winter, et. al., The Cambridge History of the First World War: Volume 1, Global War (Cambridge, England and New York: Cambridge University Press, 2014), 155.

Footnote 3: Stevens’ reply has not been found.

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