REPORTED AGREEMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 75, 26 September 1938, Page 9

REPORTED AGREEMENT

DUCE AND FUHRER

TIME FOR REPLY BY CZECHS

ROME, September 24,

Signor Mussolini stated today that the Czechs would have until October 1 to answer Herr Hitler's proposals. Political circles state that October I coincides with the meeting of the Fascist Grand Council. It is believed that Herr Hitler and Signor Mussolini agreed on the date after a telephone conversation. Thus, in the event of a Czech refusal, the Grand Council would be ready to cope with the situation. Addressing Blackshirts at Belluno yesterday, Signor Mussolini declared: "Our adversaries beyond the Alps are bound by out-of-date ideologies. They do not know us and are too stupid to be dangerous. They show themselves to be a quarter of a century behind the times. That is the reason why we will win in the future, and that is why, when 52 members of the League of Nations under the presidency of Dr. Benes agreed to sanctions against Italy, I never doubted the Italians' valour j and courage." The Duce added that it was possible to localise a German-Czech war, but that some people thought the time had come to settle accounts with the totalitarian States. In that case they would find themselves not before two nations, but one bloc. . Pessimism is the keynote of Italian Press comment. Signor Virginio Gayda writes: "The situation is very dangerous and has become worse in the last 24 hours." Government circles fear that Germany will be compelled to take military action.