MEETING AT SEA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 April 1939, Page 7

MEETING AT SEA

WITH EUROPEAN DICTATORS SUGGESTED BY PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT. OVERTURE REJECTED. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. NEW YORK, April 27. The Washington correspondent of the “New York Times,” in an exclusive message today. says that President Roosevelt .'■'ninded out Signor Mussolini. and through him Herr Hitler, on a plan to meet them at sea, or neai some neutral island such as Azores, and that they rejected the’idea. The President’s purpose was to learn th st hand their minimum terms for pledging peace and to offer his services as an intermediary. It was si.it rested or. behalf of the President the each of the three ooard a naval vessel and come privately together for this unprecedented conference. It is understood that Herr Hitler re plied through Signor Mussolini that he was unable to arrange to leave Europe for that purpose, even if he believed that a settlement could come as the result of it.

It is difficult to determine the date when the tiler was made, but it was probably between May, 1938. and the September crises, most likely just before the President’s appeals leading to the Munich Conference. The correspondent adds that denials concerning the incident will be made, but it is an undeniable fact.

So long as he remains President, unless war comes meanwhile or an enduring peace formula be otherwise discovered, Mr Roosevelt will probably continue to nurse his idea, despite its rejection by the dictators, adds the correspondent. HITLER’S SPEECH NOT TO BE ACCEPTED AS REPLY. AMERICAN OFFICIAL VIEW. . NEW YORK, April 27. The Washington correspondent of the United Press states that the United States Government will officially ignore Herr Hitler’s speech tomorrow, taking the attitude that, whatever it may contain, it will not be an official reply to President Roosevelt. It is felt that only a specific message addressed to the White House, and not merely a declaration to the Reichstag, would be considered a reply.