Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-04-13
Chamberlain Pledge
Is Unnecessary
Fascists Fee
- ~.
Greece, Rumoniu Not
Threatened, Italian
Officials Assert
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
ROME, April 13-Fascists re.
garded Prime Minister Chamber
lain's announcement of Anglo
French guarantees to Greece and
Rumania today as unnecessary
and gratuitous" because. they said
the independence of neither of these
powers had been threatened.
They called attention, ESPECIALLY
to the fact that Premier Mussolini
had given assurances on Monday
to Greece that Italy had no hostile
designs toward her and that the
Greek government had accepted
those assurances.
indications were given in Of
fetal German circles in Berlin
that Nazi leaders we're unpre-
pared for the inclusion of Ru-
mania as well as Greece in the
Anglo-French pledges of protec-
ton announced by Prime Min
lister Chamberlain. Mr.. Cham
berlain's reference to Turkey
indicating the prospect that the
pledges might be extended to the
guardian of the Dardanelles-
also caused surprise.)
See No Threat to Status Quo.
So far as Albania was concerned
Fascists argued that her occupation
was not threat to the Mediter-
ranean status quo. They insisted
that although "a personal union
had been achieved between the two
countries by Albania's offer CT the
crown to the Italian King. Albania
would continue to enjoy the same
degree of sovereignty as she has en-
joyed heretofore.
The Fascist party summoned
thousands to mass meeting to be
held outside Mussolini's Palazzt
Venezia at 9:45 pm (3:45 pm. E
S. to in expectation that II Duce
later might proclaim the decision of
the Fascist Grand Council scaling
the union of Italy and Albania I'M
der King Victor Emmanuel.
The council was to meet at 10 pm
Field Marshal Hermann Wilhelm
Goering, No. 2 Nazi. will arrive here
tomorrow night for IAN official visit.
which will extend through Sunday.
Goering, who had been in Italy a
month on vacation before going
to Llbya, was expected to see Premier
Mussolini. His wife and staff are
with him.
The Italian cabinet will meet to-
morrow and the new Chamber of
Fasces and Guilds will convene on
Saturday.
100000 Men Under Arms.
In view of Italy's disavowal of
expansion intentions in the Bal
kans, foreign diplomats were puz-
zled by her unprecedented peacetime
strength of men under arms and
other evidences of war prepared
ness. The calling of reservists had
boosted the army over the 100000
mark
Brig. Gen. Gastone Gambara
commander of Italian Legionnaires
in Spain, conferred with Mussolini
yesterday on questions concerning
repatriation and the date Of re-
patriation of Italian Legionnaires =
as a communique announced-but
the date of any withdrawal from
Spain was not disclosed.
(Sources close to the British
foreign Office in London said
Prime Minister Chamberlain had
received assurances of the early
withdrawal of Italian troops
from Spain)
Air raid precautions practice was
scheduled today for eight central
provinces and night time drill was
ordered for Rome. The provincial
exercises we're confined largely to
anti-aircraft gun practice.
The decision of the Albanian
Constituent Assembly to offer Zog's
crown to Victor Emmanuel was
greeted with a 101-gun salute Ital-
ian dispatches said Albanian leaders
trooped to the Italian Legation at
Tirana to express gratitude for the
italian liberation"
The appeal of the Albanian As
sembly placed before King Victor
Emmanuel personally the question
of to be or not to be King of
Albania.