MR SUMNER WELLES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 February 1940, Page 6

MR SUMNER WELLES

INTERVIEW WITH COUNT CIANO. “GRATIFYING & HELPFUL.” By Telegranh—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day, 11.3(1 a.m.) ROME. February 26. Count Ciano received Mr Sumner Welles, American Assistant-Secretary of State and the United States Ambassador, Mr Phillips. The interview lasted for 75 minutes and included a fifteenminute chat after the formal talk. Mr Welles described the interview as very gratifying and helpful. INTEREST IN ITALY. FOLLOWING ON VISIT TO ROME. (Received This Day. 12.5(1 p.m.) ROME. February 26. Mr Welles’s visits to Count Ciano and Signor Mussolini, the latter extending for the period of an hour, have changed the Italian public attitude to the mission rather abruptly from comparative indifference to lively interest. Count Ciano. immediately after the first talk, hurried to the Palazza Venezia to acquaint Signor Mussolini with the gist of the preliminary survey of problems and he remained during Mr Welles's visit to the Duce. Although the talks were secret, foreign observers express the opinion that the sudden warmth of Italian reaction can be explained by the possibility that Mr Welles made some specific suggestion, striking a responsive chord in the Italian policy.