REPLY OF DICTATORS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23687, 20 June 1940, Page 9

REPLY OF DICTATORS

' TERMS WITHHELD IN MEANTIME DECISION MADE AT MUNICH // SIGNING OF ARMISTICE STILL DELAYED / , f .'. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (deceived June 19. 11.50 p.m.) LONDON. June 10 A communique issued after a meeting of the French Cabinet to-day at 9 a.m., under the President, M. Lebrun, says that note has been taken of the enemy's reply through the Spanish Am- _ bassador to France. This states that the Reich is ready to inform the French Government of conditions for a cessation of hostilities as soon as the names bf the French plenipotentiaries are made known. The plenipotentiaries have now been appointed. A report from Rome says Hitler has demanded capitulation pure and simple as the terms for granting France an armistice. France would be completely disarmed and occupied in parts until the end of the war with Britain. This report is not confirmed as yet. The official German news agency at Munich announced last night that Hitler and Mussolini agreed upon their attitude to the French request for an armistice after a conference which lasted four hours and ended at 8 p.m. local time. Mussolini was accompanied by Count Ciano, Italian Foreign Minister, Signor Bastianini, Chief of the Cabinet, Signor Muti, secretaryrgeneral of the Fascist Party, and General Roatta, deputyChief of the General Staff. Von Ribbentrop and General Keitel, Chief of Staff of the German High Command, accompanied Hitler. While Hitler, Mussolini, Ribbentrop and Ciano conferred behind sound-proof doors in Hitler's house, there were discussions in other rooms between Signor Muti and an Italian Foreign Office official, ' Signor Vivetti, and Generals Roatta, Decastiglione, Perino, Bodenschatz, Keitel and Admiral Decourten, also between Signor Alfieri and Dr. von Mackensen, the Italian and German Ambassadors. The French radio announced that Marshal Petain, Prime Minister, issued an order of the day ordering all French and Allied forces on land, sea and in the air to continue to fight as long as an armistice was not signed. Fighting is still going on, and a French communique stated that the enemy maintained pressure along the whole front, but had not succeeded in making any important advance. The French radio commentator said yesterday that the French Government was approaching Italy through the mediation of the Papal Nuncio with a view to peace negotiations.