LETTER FROM DUCE

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 264, 4 August 1937, Page 9

LETTER FROM DUCE

Reply to British Prime Minister DESIRE TO RESTORE CO-OPERATION Boycott of English News Ends By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. London, August 2. The Italian Ambassador, Count Grandi, called at No. 10 Downing Street and handed to the Prime Minister a personal letter from Signor Mussolini in reply to the Prime Minister’s letter of last week. The diplomatic correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” gathers that the reply left no doubt as to the sincere desire of the Italian Government to restore the co-operation existing between London and Rome during the Locarno years 1925 to 1935. Mr. Chamberlain’s Government is now dealing with foreign affairs much more promptly and more directly than during the Baldwin regime. Mr. Chamberlain himself is taking a more active part in close consultation with the Foreign Secretary. He is determined to eliminate Anglo-Italian misapprehension. The Rome correspondent of “The Times” says: “It is not doubted here that the Duce reciprocates Mr. Chamberlain’s wish for restoration of friendly relations. The boycott of English news ended to-day, when the newspapers for the first time in four months published direct news from London giving prominence to the favourable British reaction to Mr. Chamberlain’s letter to the Duce. The present moves are evidently preparatory to diplomatic conversations of an important character.

CORDIAL MEETING

British Ambassador and Count Ciano

Rome, August 2. The British Ambassador, Sir Eric Drummond, had a “long and cordial meeting” with the Foreign Minister, Count Ciano, and discussed Mr. Neville Chamberlain’s letter and the state of AngloItalian relations. There is no doubt in Rome that Signor Mussolini’s reply to Mr. Chamberlain will be an equally friendly letter, as it is

understood that [Mr. Chamberlain

empnasisea t uui Britain desired to see Anglo-Italian relations replaced on the basis existing before the Abyssinian war.