Evening star., 1939-03-21
Hitler Sends Letter
To Rome Explaining
New Developments
Goering Goes on Vacation
To San Reno, ItoIy;
MemeI Held Secure
By the Associated Press.

BERLIN. March 21.-Adolf Hitler
made doubly sure today that his
Italian axis partner. Premier Mus
solini, understands developments Of
last week when Germany absorbed
parts of Czecho-Slovakia.
The ReichSfuehrer gave Italian
Ambassador Bernardo D. Attolico a
personal letter to Mussolini. persons
close to the Italian Embassy said.
before the envoy left last night for
Rome to report to II Duce. He was
expected back In a few days.
1t was believed the next expan-
sionist move would come from
Memel this week end.
Field Marshal Hermann Wilhelm
Goering and his wife left for San
Reno, Italy, this afternoon to re-
sumo their vacation, interrupted last
week when he was called back to
Berlin. Later Goering is to see Mus
solini and possibly also Marshal
Italo Balbo, Governor of Libya, in
Africa.
Japan sent Hitler congratu-
lations on the Nazi absorption
of Bohemia -Moravia. but the alb
sence Of similar fluctuations from
Rome was interpreted as a pos
sible indication that Mussolini
did not approve of it,
Memel Held Settled.
Foreign observers felt that Hitler
permission to Goering to continue
the holiday was an indication that
the question of the return to Ger
many of Memel-a 1.099-square mile
Baltic strip under Lithuanian sover-
eignty-had been settled and that
Lithuanians had promised not to at
tempt to prevent that former Ger
man district from getting home
to the Reich"
Ambassador Attolico saw both
Hitler and German Foreign Minis
ter Joachim Won Ribbentrop last
night. Sources close to the italian
Embassy believed the reported let
ter to Mussolini explained the vari-
Gus steps Hitler took regarding
Czecho- -Slovakia and the necessity
for each step.
Foreign Office experts were hard
at work trying to find an acceptable
legal form for the relationship be-
tween Germany and Slovakia, which
declared its independence of the
Prague government and later asked
the protection" of the Reich, un-
confirmed but undenied rumors were
that DR.. Joseph Tiso, President OF
Slovakia, was en- route here to join
other Slovak officials in negoti-
ations.
Slovaks Are Cautious.
The length of these negotiations
on Slovakia's position admittedly
indicated that the Slovak wishes
were not easy to satisfy and that
German desires were not readily
acceptable to the Slovaks.
Reports that German troops had
asked permission from Hungary to
march toward Rumania were denied
categorically by government spokes-
men.
officials took their time about re.
plying to Soviet Russia's protest
Sunday against the dismemberment
of Czecho- -Slovakia. It was said
that the German Ambassador in
Moscow had forwarded the protest
to Berlin by ordinary mail and that
it had not yet arrived. 1t was also
said that no protest had yet been
received from the United States.
The gravity of the international
situation was reflected by Germany's
recall of her London and Paris Am
bassadors Ito report" after the same
British and French action.
The controlled press heaped abuse
on the two democracies who de-
nounced German occupation of
Czecho-Slovakia. A source close to
the Wilhelmstrasse said the fact
that the press was permitted to cut
so deeply into Anglo German rela-
tions revealed the seriousness of the
situation.
IF English policy is aimed at
bringing the axis powers into a kind
OF quarantine" this source said
then the determination here is to
answer with unequivocal clarity and
to meet all the consequences"