In Berlin, the Italian consulate had spoken with Ernst Woermann of German foreign ministry offering Italy's help to facilitate Bose's journey to Berlin via Russia. German ministry asked the Italian Ambassador to get in charge with Count Schulenburg, the German Ambassador in Moscow. Until clearance was obtained at the highest level from Berlin and Moscow, Subhas was to stay in touch with Germans in Kabul through Herr Thomas of Siemens Company.
A signal came from Herr Thomas that Bose should meet the Italian Ambassador Pietro Quaroni. Bose and Bhagat Ram arrived in the Italian embassy on the afternoon of 22nd February 1941. Quaroni was deeply impressed by Subhas Bose and considered him to be "intelligent, able, full of passion, and without doubt the most realistic, the only realist among Indian nationalist leaders." They met several times over the next few weeks and discussed possible alternatives for Bose to travel out of Afghanistan.
On March 3, Count Schulenburg had cabled Berlin from Moscow informing that Russia was ready to give Subhas Bose the transit visa to travel to Germany. On March 10, Mrs. Quaroni, the Russian wife of the Italian Ambassador herself came to Uttam Chand's shop with a message for Subhas to get photographed. That photograph would find its place in the passport of an Italian diplomat Orlando Mazzotta.
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