Mr. Chamberlain Will Hold Trump Cards At Rome Meeting

Northern Advocate, 9 January 1939, Page 5

Mr. Chamberlain Will Hold Trump Cards At Rome Meeting

(Received 2.30 p.m.)

LONDON, January 8. ffME ROME CORRESPONDENT OF “THE TIMES’' SAYS THE NEWSPAPERS THROUGHOUT THE WEEK HAVE DEVOTED COLUMNS TO MR CHAMBERLAIN’S VISIT BISECTING EVERY POSSIBLE ASPECT, FROM WHICH THE HOPE CONSISTENTLY EMERGES THAT THE VISIT WILL RESULT IN A CLARIFICATION OF ANGLO-DTAL-IAN AIMS, ENABLING BRITAIN, ITALY AND GERMANY TO COOPERATE MORE CLOSELY IN A REAJUSTMENT OF THE BALANCE OF POWER. The press is careful to point out that Italy’s claims against France will be fully maintained, also that Italy is not intimidated by M. Daladier’s “provocative” tour. The Italians are evidently counting more on Mr Chamberlain’s good offices than on Germany’s backing. NO FURTHER CONCESSIONS. “It is becoming increasingly more difficult to see how the Rome meeting can produce any tangible result ex cept the ending of the appeasement policy,” says the diplimatic correspondent of the “Manchester Guardian.” "If Mr Chamberlain comes home without surrendering anything and resolved to. continue in that attitude, his prestige at home and abroad will become very strong.” The “Daily Telegraph’s” diplomatic correspondent says it is believed Mr Chamberlain and Viscount Halifax will leave no doubt in Signor Mussolini’s mind, that the Paris-London axis is as strong as ,the Berlin-Rome axis, and that Britain and France will bluntly discountenance territorial changes at the expense of France, as being opposed to the Anglo-Italian agreement, while non-territorial concesisons are purely an Italo-French question. ANGLO-FRENCH SOLIDARITY A meeting of the Higher War Council of France which will follow M, Oaladier’s return from Tunis, is regarded as most important in view of Mr Chamberlain’s visit to Paris, which is universally welcomed. The French newspapers consider Mr Chamberlain will hold all • the trump cards in Rome, as he knows the Italian weaknesses of poverty and heavy taxation, while the army, detesting the Black Shirts, does not desire war with France, ' The conversations with Signor Mussolini will prove Anglo-French solidarity, v . TO END SPANISH IMPASSE The “Sunday Despatch” says Mr Chamberlain will offer Italy financial and economic assistance if Italy act ually withdraws from Spain, after Which'Mr Chamberlain will suggest a Spanish armistice as a preliminary to mediation between the Nationalists and Republicans, but will not grant General Franco belligerent rights.