Evening star., 1940-05-27

British Cancellation
Fails 10 Halt Ita|y's
War Preparations
Mussolini in Conference
With Army Chiefs;
Youths Urge Bottle
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
s ROME, May 27.-Italy appeared
today to be speeding along the road
to war despite British hopes OF mol
lifying Italian bitterness against
the Allied blockade.
British asserted italy has pro-
posed "a very satisfactory basis
for a contraband agreement, but
this brought no immediate sign Of
relaxation Of preparations of the
italian military machine or dimming
of the popular spirit for inter-
vention.
I'm London, it was said that a
plan for italian ships to carry
only cargoes covered by navicerts
was the basis of the proposed
British-Italian agreement on con-
traband control. A navicert is a
paper certifying the nature Of a
cargo and approved by British
officials.
ct was stated that following
Sir Wilfrid Greepe's return to
London today from Rome, the
plan would ease the way to a
reasonable agreement regarding
operation Of control.
Italians SkepticaL
Most Italians believed any relaxa-
ton Of the contraband control
would fall far short of meeting
Fascist Aspirations" for territorial
and other concessions so long as
the British held the keys to Gibral-
tar and the Suez Canal, the two
gateways to the Mediterranean
which italians call mare nostrum"
(our sea).
British newspaper correspondents
said they had been instructed from
home to be prepared to leave.
The week-old ban preventing the
Vatican City newspaper L'Osserva-
tore Romano from appearing on
Rome newsstands was lifted, but an
informed source said the news
paper had agreed to exclude war
comment from its columns and to
confine its war coverage to official
bulletins.
Signs Of War Fever.
In the atmosphere of intense
preparations for war. these develop
ments occurred yesterday:
/. Premier Mussolini conferred
with army chiefs, directors of mobil-
ization and arms producers and
subsequently orders were issued to
expand the production Of artillery
and to conserve the nations gasoline
supplies by suspending civilian motor
traffic June /.
2. Banners bearing the words
"War. War!" and "Duce, We Want
to march," were raised before the
Premier in Mussolini forum at the
end OF gymnastic exhibition by
10000 Fascist youths. Mussolini
watched impassively.
3. Foreign Minister Count Galeazzo
Ciano returned from a tour of
Albania-conquered and annexed by
Italy in April. 1939-in which he
received pledges of Albanian support
In any Italian war effort.
The British announcement that
italy had proposed "a very salts
factory basis" for a contraband
agreement came as Sir Wilfrid
Greene. British economic expert, left
Rome after conducting negotiations
regarding the contraband control
and trade questions.
Foreign observers said they were
puzzled by the announcement be-
cause they had been given to under
stand that Mussolini had rejected
both English and French offers as
being too little and too late"
The British were reported to have
been ready in effect to lift the con-
traband control to permit large sup
plies OF raw materials to reach italy
In return for an Italian promise to
prevent them from reaching Ger
many.
Some observers wondered whether
Italy would accept an end to con-
troll in the Mediterranean as mean
ing an end to her Mediterranean
"lmprisonment"-something she has
insisted must be terminated.
The question also was raised
whether the war preparations of
the last few weeks constituted a
temporary crisis which now would
disappear.
Foreign Circles Skeptical
Foreign circles, however, were
skeptical over the possibility of a
lasting understanding between Rome
and London as the Italian press
was predicting a German attack on
the British Isles and collapse of the
BRUSH and French Empires.
Some observers expressed belief
the British contraband control an
nouncement may have been a last
minute effort to deprive Italy of a
powerful motive for entering the
war. British control of the Med
lterranean, dramatized by the block
ade, has been the focal point of
Fascist odium.
Leaders at Conference.
Mussolini began his series of con-
ferences by meeting with Marshal
Rodoho Graziani, army chief of
stan; Gen. Ubaldo Soddu, UNDER
secretary for war; Gen. Angelo
Rossi, assistant chief of staff for
anti-aircraft defense; Gems. Camille
Grossi and Alfredo Guzzoni. and
1t. Col. Piacentini of the mobiliza-
ton ONCE of the war ministry.
Marshal Pietro Badoglio, chief of
stan Of all the armed forces, did not
attend the meeting.