MEETING IN BLIZZARD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 March 1940, Page 5

MEETING IN BLIZZARD

IN THE BRENNER PASS BULLET-PROOF TRAINS USED. TALL TALK BY GERMAN NEWS AGENCY. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright. LONDON, March 18. Only a matter of hours after an announcement in Rome yesterday that Signor Mussolini and his Foreign Minister, Count Ciano, were to met Herr Hitler near the Italian-German frontier, two bullet-proof trains arrived this morning at Brenaro, a small border village in the Brenner Pass. A blizzard was raging. Herr Hitler, accompanied by Herr von Ribbentrop, alighted from the train from Germany and walked to the other train, where Signor Mussolini and Count Ciano were waiting. . The dictators shook hands and immediately commenced talks in private. Information on the subject of the talks is lacking, but it is expected that Signor Mussolini will return to Rome tonight. The German news agency comments: “Today means a turning point in the history of Europe and will show to the world the complete singleness of the aim of the axis." The agency predicts a German-Italian programme which would deliver Europe from war. In Rome, however, there is no comment on the talks, the only suggestion being that the meeting has some connection with the visit to Europe of President Roosevelt’s representative, Mr. Sumner Welles. BELJEF IN LONDON LATEST MOVE IN PEACE OFFENSIVE. MANY SPECTACULAR REPORTS. LONDON, March 17. Ths German news agency said that the meeting had been envisaged for a long time, and that the arrangements for it were completed during Herr von Ribbentrop’s recent visit to Rome. Observers in London believe it to be the latest move in the peace offensive, and also take the view that it is somehow connected with Mr. Welles’s visit. All foreign observers agree that it is definitely linked up with Mr. Welles’s last conference with the Duce. Officials in Washington say, on the other hand, that the meeting has no connection at all with Mr. Welles’s return visit to Rome. Europe is alive with speculative reports of a German peace offensive. It is persistently reported that Herr Hitler is to ask Signor Mussolini to re-submit a German peace plan to Mr. Welles.