NO SUDDEN WAR MOVEMENT

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21644, 3 May 1940, Page 7

NO SUDDEN WAR MOVEMENT

ITALY’S POSITION UNCHANGED

Mussolini Assures U.S. Ambassador

Malta Blacked Out

United Ptpff Association -By Electric lelegiaph- Copyright LONDON. May 1.

Signor Mussolini is reported to have assured the United States Ambassador (Mr William Phillips) in a personal interview to-day, that there would be no sudden change in Italy’s position. No official light was thrown on this interview, but it was strongly reported in Rome that th 6 American Ambassador called on II Duce and asked him for information concerning Italy’s intentions. It was reported that Mussolini gave him an assurance that no war movement was contemplated by Italy at present.

It is significant that the Italian liner Rex sailed for New York according to schedule, and it is pointed out that if Italy intended to adopt any immediate war aims this vessel wouli have been kept at home. The Italian Foreign Minuter (Count Ciano), asked the British Ambassador (Sir Percy Loraine) to call on him, and the interview was afterwards described as "cordial and informative.”

The Italian Cabinet met this morning to deal with the internal situation. It was announced that a new tax would be imposed on profits made out of the war, and a new law makes it possible for communications and the control of Italian merchant shipping to be changed over to a war-time basis. The Italian newspapers were not allowed to publish any reference to the decision made by Britain regarding the Mediterranean until this afternoon. An article in Marshal Balbo’s newspaper alleges that British contraband control is being exercised with capricious selfishness, and it demands that Britain, the intruder, be thrown out of the Mediterranean.

News of the diversion of British shipping from the Mediterranean was released to the Italians this afternoon, when the Ministry of Propaganada circulated the British Foreign Office communique. For the last three days Italian news bulletins from London have been jammed. Meanwhile. German propaganda continues unrelaxed.

Herr Rudolf Hess, Hitler's deputy, in a speech in Berlin, said that Italy believed that the time had not yet

come to speak of oustanding differences between her and the ' estern Powers. For the moment Germany was a sufficent opponent for the democracies. French Precautions British precautionary measures in the Mediterranean have been followed by similar precautions by France in territories under her jurisdiction. Shipping rates have risen sharply in London. Some of them have been doubled.

A French Foreign Office spokesman said that the Italian attitude towards the Allies in the last two days had been definitely alarming and future relations were uneasy. He added that

the apprehension was based on the general attitude of the Italian Government and diplomatic circles rather than on specific facts. Freight charges from the new world to the Mediterranean and the Black Sea have also been increased. An announcement has been made that there is to be a diversion of shipping i und the Cape of Good Hope between Britain and the Far East, and * iat the French and British Governments intend to take parallel steps. Nothing is known officially about this plan. It would be un.vise to attribute to the British precautions concerning Mediterranean s dipping a significance greater than the n ’.re of th? measures and the authoritative explanation which has bee: given would warrant, states a British Official •; message.

It has been made clear that pronouncements by Italians in responsible -positions and the attitude of th? Italian press have recently been of such a character as to render the precautions inevitable, the message adds, but they will not be continued any longer than is necessai. Recent manifestations had cbvicusly le.t the British authorities with little

choice but to adopt safeguards dictated by normal prudence,‘but th? decision equally obviously reflects no change in the attitude of London either to Italy or to those many qi estions regarding the common interests of Italy and Britain which have been shown so often to be capable of harmonious regulation while goodwill obtains on both sides.

Nor is there an/ recent development in the international situation which, so far as can be discerned from London, should affect the Italian attitude or alter those fundamental considerations arising from Italy’s natural and secular national interest which would seem to guide Signor Mussolini’s policy of non-belligerency. There exists, therefore, a very lively hope among observers in London that the circumstances which have made necessary the present precautions will prove quite temporary. So long as the realisation of that hope is delayed, the precautions now in operation will allow a more free and unhampered action in other activities should the necessity unfortunately arise, the message concludes.

A message from Malta states that a blackout has been ordered and will begin to-night.