RETURN TO THE REICH

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19987, 12 July 1939, Page 5

RETURN TO THE REICH

HITLER’S GESTURE NO DESIGN ON LAND LONDON, July 5. The significance that diplomatic observers attach to the negotiations that are progressing satisfactorily between the Italian and German Governments for the transfer of all Germans in the Alto Adige Province—the Italian Tyrol—to Germany, is that the Rome-Berlin Axis is proving stronger, even on "domestic” questions, than has been surmised. Reports from Rome and Berlin emphasise that the negotiations are ceing pursued in a spirit of friendly collaboration, and that agreement is expected soon.

The negotiations began after April 23, when Herr Hitler re-emphasised his intention of getting all Germans within the Reich. It is believed that Herr Hitler’s plan of transfer will quickly permit him to achieve this ambition and enable him to square it with the renunciation of the German claims on the Italian Tyrol.

Her r Hitler thus reassures the Italian people that he has no intention of re-drawing the frontier by including this Italian territory within the Reich.

An advantage of the new plan is that Italy will be rid of potential rebels (many believe that the Germans in the Italian Tyrol are treated far worse than tire Sudetens were ever treated by the Czechs), while Germany will secure fresh battalions of labour recruits to ease her acute emplo.vment prob'l cm.