Evening star., 1939-04-21

peals to Chancellor Hitler and
Premier MuSsolini April IS for
pledges that they Mould not at
tack 81 nations. 1Uhich he named,
for 10 years. Hitler subsequently
called German Reichstag for
April % to bear his response.
Premier Mussolini yesterday re-
jected Mr.. Roosevelts appeal as
"absurb" and denied Italy in
tends to attack any one.
By the Associated Press.
BERLIN, April 21.-Messages pub
lished today showed that Chancellor
Hitler and Premier Mussolini ex-
changed assurances on the Reichs-
fuehrer's 5Oth birthday anniversary
yesterday that the friendship be-
tween their two countries could not
be disturbed by enemies of their
Rome Berlin axis.
They were disclosed while Hitler
turned from his birthday festivities
to the drafting of the Reichstag
speech with which he will reply one
week from today to President Roose-
velt's non-aggression proposals.
Claims Peace Path Followed.
In a lengthy telegram Premier
Mussolini told his axis partner that
the friendship between Rome and
Berlin which has withstood many
tests cannot be disturbed by the re-
Ny1rrivoc riIio11lN,,c a nf
enemies"
Some time they will have to con-
vince themselves" II Duce tele-
graphed, that they are following
false course. because Fascism and
National Socialism are the way of
justice and peace"
The Fuehrer thanked Mussolini
and added:
With thanks bring anew the as
surances of my indestructible friend
ly ties with you and the Fascist Italy
created by you as we'll as my best
wishes"
Work on Reply.
Foreign Minister Joachim Won
Ribbentrop and his staff had gone
to work on material for the reply
to Mr.. Roosevelt Immediately after
Hitler was acquainted with the con-
tents of the Presidents message in
conferences at Munich last Satur-
day and Sunday.
Foreign Office experts weighed
every detail and scrutinized every
word Of the Roosevelt message.
A government spokesman denied
and ridiculed reports published in
Paris and Warsaw that Hitler was
asking certain Of the 81 countries
named in President Roosevelts ap-
peal for decade of non aggression
whether they felt threatened by
Germany.
I'VE don't have to make such in
quiries," the spokesman asserted.
'"The countries in question have in
dicated their attitude through pub
lie statements or through diplomatic
channels. They don't feel danger
because of Germany"
Crowds in Wilhelmplatz.
Lights burned late last night at
the new chancellery, where Hitler
spent the evening in company with
close collaborators while joyous
crowds thronged the spacious, flood
lighted Wilhelmplatz.
At the old chancellery building
several rooms were piled with val
liable and sentimental birthday
gifts, including layettes for distribu-
ton to expectant mothers, historical
documents, objects of art and food
delicacies. The official news agency
said there were twice as many gifts
as last year.
The youngest among Hitler's call
ers yesterday was 10-month-old
Edda Goering, daughter of Field
Marshal Hermann Wilhelm Goering,
who was brought by her mother and
nurse to see the Fuehrer, her god
father.
Celebration in Bohemia -Moravia.
Berlin's newspapers recorded the
events of the birthday anniversary
in page-long articles which empha-
sized that the Czech people whole
heartedly participated" in the cele-
bration.
Army parades were held at Bruenn
and Prague. in Germany's new pro-
tectorate of Bohemia -Moravia. The
demonstration at Prague was in
Masaryk Stadium, named for the
founder of the now non-existent
Czecho-Slovak republic.
Little Slovakia, once part of
Czecho- -Slovakia and now nominally
independent under the protection
Of Germany, honored Hitler by re-
naming Bratislava's Masaryk Square
Adolf Hitler Platz.