Evening star., 1940-05-20
Trip Set Tomorrow
Is Sequel TO Speech
To Italy TO Be Ready
Abrupt Move by Duee
Is Doubted, However:
French Diplomats Shifted
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
ROME, May 20-Foreign Minister
Count Galeazzo Ctano is arranging
to go to Albania-Italy's Balkan
ou.post-tomorrow as sequel to
his advice to Italians yesterday to
be ready for a call from Premier
Mussolini to gain the nations aspi-
rations.
Count Ciano. it was said, intends
to inspect public works projects
now under way in Albania which
Italy occupied April 7, 1899, but his
trip is bound to be watched closely
because of Italy's military foothold
there in the Balkan peninsula be-
tween Yugoslavia and Greece.
Italian schools were ordered to
close May 81, fortnight earlier
than had been intended, but still
there were no definite signs of
imminent Italian entry into the
European war.
Recapitulation-Not a Change.
Rumors that mass meeting had
been called for an important an
nouncement by Mussolini were dis
PEELED when authoritative quarters
said that tonight's turnout in Piazza
Venezia was to welcome large Jap
anese delegation come to, negotiate
new trade agreement.
Responsible Italians interpreted
Count Ciano's Milan speech as a
recapitulation of Italys position
not a modification. They said it
meant that Italy had claims she
wants settled and that Italians were
willing to go to war. if necessary,
but if they can be settled without
fighting so much the better
Count Ciano's speech included an
apparent reaffirmation of the dura-
bility of Italy's military alliance with
Germany. 1t was he who negotiated
1taly's part of the pact of steel
year ago. He declared yesterday
that Italy intends to keep faith in
her engagements
An Italian dispatch reported fur
ther "vexations" to Maltese ma
tionalists by British authorities in
that island. tThe term nationalists
generally is conceded in Rome circles
to mean sympathizers with italy,
The official Stefani news agency
reported new arrests at Malta and
dozen temporary detentions. in
Guiding that of the former president
of disbanded university students. It
said that the British action caused
feeling of profound uneasiness
among all island circles"
Making his first public address in
five months, in celebration OF the
alliances 1st anniversary, the For
eign Minister promised a crowd at
Milan that Rome must say and
will say its word" in European
events. But he told them decision
as to what that word will be must
come from Premier Mussolini.
No Abrupt Move Seen.
Count Ciano told the Milanese
they might be called upon to "face
new tasks designed to defend
Italy's sovereign rights and prestige
and to realize her aspirations. He
expressed confidence that Milan,
where the Italian German pact was
concluded early last May before its
signing at Berlin May %, would
respond enthusiastically IF and
when" II Duce gave the order.
In political circles the Foreign
Minister'S words were taken as evi-
dence Italy is contemplating no alb
rupt move Instead. they believed,
Mussolini, still is studying the
European situation, especially mill
tary developments on the western
front, to determine how best he can
serve Italys interests.
There was at least one sign that
Italy plans to be ready to intervene
at any time, should the occasion
arise, in resumption of air raid pre-
cautions in Northern Italy today.
Blackouts and other defense ex-
periments were ordered in the in
dustrial regions of Milan and Turin
Italy has had no air raid eSer-
cises since she took her non-bellig-
erent stand at the outbreak of the
war last September.
Papers Stress Readiness.
Italian readiness for word from
Mussolini came from two sources.
II Duce's newspaper, II Popolo
DItalia, hailed Count Ciano's ar
rival at Milan with the statement
that Milan with firmness waits for
II Duce to call the people to the next
test"
Giovanni Ansaldo, editor of II
TELEGRAPH of Leghorn, Count Ciano's
paper, said in his weekly broadcast
to the army:
when II Duce commands, we will
be ready and victorious"
Americans homeward bound from
the war zones and potential war
zones crowded the United States
liner Washington, which sailed from
Genoa yesterday. day late, with
nearly $500 passengers. Some 400
of them had to be content with
emergency accommodations. One of
the last to board the ship was
Laurence A. Steinhardt, United
States Ambassador to Soviet Russia
Diplomatic Shift.
At the same time the Italian liner
Rex, which came through Gibraltar
for the first time without being
stopped by the allied contraband
control, arrived at Naples with a
small passenger list.
In Rome, the substitution OF
Charles Roux for Alexis Leger as
undersecretary at the French For
eign ONCE is regarded as bid for
better relations with Italy on the
part of the French government.
White House Won't Tell
OF RooseveIt-Duce Notes
By the Associated Press.
The White House said today that
President Roosevelt's communica-
tions to Premier Mussolini of Italy
would not be made public, nor would