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of the 17th. July, 1915, Mr. Volpicelli's permanent pass was with- -draw,in order that his movements might be better watched, as from the 7th. instant.
5.
The
668 On the night of 16th. instant Mr. Volpicelli
left for Canton and His Majesty's Consul-General at Canton was apprised of the fact by telegraph.
On the 23rd. instant His Majesty's Consul- -General reported to me that on the 19th. Instant Mr. Volpicelli had visited the German Consulate at noon and had remained there till 3 p.m., that on the 20th. he had been seen to enter the German Consulate at 11 p.m.; and that on the 21st. he had again visited the German Consulate where he had remained for nearly an hour, leaving for Hongkong in the afternoon. Mr. E. C. Wilton added in conversation with a Britisher here and in the presence of a third party Volpicelli spoke disparagingly of the Italian as compared with the German soldiers and expressed confidence of an overwhelming Russian disaster in the near future".
6.
On the 26th. instant after consulting Major- -General Ventris I interviewed Mr. Volpicelli and taxed him with his visits to the German Consul on the 19th., 20th. and 21st. instants. I said that I spoke to him on the subject in my capacity of the Governor of a defended Port and Eilitary base of Great Britain at war with Germany and allied in that war with Italy.
7.
Mr. Volpicelli at first denied the visits.
Then he admitted the visits of the 19th. and 21st. and said he had
denied my statement because he had not visited the German Consul on 3 occasions. He admitted that he visited the German Consul
every time he went to Canton. He justified his action on the ground of long standing friendship with Dr. Rössler and his wife;
of the innocence of the intercourse and of the fact that Italy was
not at war with Germany. I pointed out that in this latter respect
he was wrong for Germany had declared war on Italy and a state of
war existed between the two countries.
8.
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