ITALIAN AIMS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 October 1939, Page 7

ITALIAN AIMS

NEED OF SOME PEACE EFFORT PERCEIVED VARIOUS PROPOSALS AFLOAT. PROBLEMS FOR MUSSOLINI. By Telegraph—P—is Association—Copyright NEW YORK, October 4. The correspondent of the "New York Times” in Rome writes that, though nothing specific has leaked out about the results of Count Ciano’s trip to Berlin, there are strong reports of another Italian peace move. The Italians refuse to abandon the belief that what they consider a reasonable offer has not some possibility of success. They realise that if they merely offered Hitler's .terms, no matter how sugar-coated, they would be turned down. Nevertheless, they feel that some effort must be made. There is a strong belief that Count Ciano put the matter before Herr Hitler.

The talk of a seven-Power conference, including the United States and Turkey, has no more authority than a dozen other ideas floating round. The “Popolo d’ltalia’s” Berlin correspondent in a dispatch reprinted in all newspapers, which therefore must be authoritative, says Herr Hitler insisted on getting all the Poles within his jurisdiction so as to offer the possibility ol constituting a purely Polish State. Russia agreed to withdraw after receiving compensations of particular strategic importance in the Baltic. It is now expected that Flerr Hitler will make the constitution of a Polish State part of his peace offer. In stressing Italy’s determination to remain neutral, the writer does not intend to indicate that this is her final stand. It seems impossible she will side with the Allies, and improbable that she will do so with Germany in the near future. That is as much as can be said. As each new crisis arrives she must make a new choice. It is true, however, that the longer she stays neutral, the more difficult it will be to abandon the safe road for the perils of partisanship. A people so individualistic and independent in thought as the Italians cannot be made to go about face overnight in the way the Germans can. If they are to be brought into the war a whole new programme of psychological preparation must be undertaken. So far, there are no signs of such, nor are there signs that Count Ciano’s visit has changed Italy’s present policy. RADIO REPORTS DUCE NOT CALLING PEACE CONFERENCE. NO INITIATIVE IN PRESENT STATE OF AFFAIRS. The following reports have been broadcast from Daventry:— An official statement issued in Rome, in reply to a report that Signor Mussolini was considering the calling of a peace conference, said that in the present state of affairs Italy would take no initiative of such a nature.

Speaking in the House of Lords, the British Foreign Secretary, Lord Halifax, reaffirmed Mr Chamberlain’s statement in the House of Commons that Great Britain and France could notlisten to -any peace proposals which would conflict with the declared aims with which they had entered the war. It was necessary to state, Lord Halifax said, that assurances from the present German Government were not enough. The Government had decided to recognise the new Polish Government. M Daladier stated that France wanted permanent peace, not peace between acts of aggression. He paid a tribute to the efforts of Signor Mussolini to avoid hostilities.