DICTATORS’ MEETING

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 287, 1 September 1941, Page 8

DICTATORS’ MEETING

Report Of Doubts And Recriminations STRAIN OF EASTERN FRONT (Received September 1, 1.30 a.m.) LONDON, August 31. Originally intended to last for --1 hours the meeting between Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini continuel for days because of controversies and violent scenes, declares Mr. Edmond De Maitre, the "Sunday Express” correspondent In Stockholm. . He says -that Hitler reproached the Duce with wanting to win the war sitting on the fence wjiile the. Germans were bleeding, and Mussolini accused Hitler of having lost the war by unnecessarily attacking Soviet Russia. Mr. De Maitre says that the meeting followed a report from the German General Staff saying it was impossible to continue the battle in the east on the present scale beyond tiyp or three weeks because of the losses of men and material, and they suggested go-slow tactics alternating with terrific mass attacks before winter with all their resources. z

Hitler, in view of the internal situation in Germany, rejected the first plan, while differences arose over a second, which involved a settlement with Vichy and peace with France enabling the occupation troops to operate in the east.