The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-03-19
Italian Interests In Europe To Be Guarded
Continued From Page D

l NCOnCulueu ent limits until United States Under Secretary of State Sumner Welles could return to Washington and re- port to President Roosevelt, after which a peace move might develop
 Welles, planning to leave tonight for Geneo to board the Conte al Savoia which sails for New York tomorrow noon, waited in the Unit ed States embassy believing that Mussolini might summon him tc give him a confidential version oi the Brennero conference.
 A Vatican informant had saio earlier that an 11-point German peace plan was the inspiration fol the Brennero conference and fol most of the diplomatic activity here by Welles.
 Welles Doubts Peace
 Welles, the informant said, hao been informed of the 11-point plar when he visited Berlin, had assured himself while in Paris and London that the Allies would never accept it, and had SO informed -Mussolin! had arranged with Hitler for the Brennero meeting, hoping to induce him to modify his terms.
 The Vatican informant believed Hitler had agreed to modify the 11-point plan. but there was g chance that he had not and that he and Mussolini had veered thei1 discussion to the course the wal would take from now on, touching on Italy's role as an exis partner and means of maintaining the neu- trality of the Balkans.
 Giovanni Ansaldo, writing today under a Florence date in the Leg horn Telegrafo, the newspaper o1 Foreig nMinister Gaeazzo Ciano whc attended the Brennero conference ridiculed the idea that Mussolini had dashed across Italy carrying in his own hands peace proposals submitted to him by Welles." He said there was considerable talk i7 Rome that after discussing peace Hitler and Mussolini had dwelt on the prospects of an Italian-German- Russian agreement fixing a status quo in the Balkans and the Danube Basin.
 Was Great Event
 The big business newspaper Popolo di Roma today said the Brennero conference was "the great est diplomatic event since the out break of the war" and that while the British masses understood it. importance, British officials were embarrassed and the British press "abandons itself to the maddes deductions"
 "The importance of the conversa' tions primarily is due to the ex ceptional quality of the two mer who occupy the world politica scene and to the important decis sion which will influence the de velopment of history which wer, are all living" the newspaper said.
 In Berlin, the newspaper said, tn meeting was regarded as forming part of an atmosphere created b, the Granco-British plan for extend ing the conflict at all costs"
 Most of the diplomatic activity c the past month in Rome, Vatical City, Berlin, Paris and London accounted for in this Vatican yer sion, which, in its chronological or der, is as follows:
 Welles, arriving in Berlin in th first week of his tour, was told b Hitler or German Foreign Ministe Joachim Won Ribbentrop of the Il point plan which, 1t was stressed did not constitute Germany's forms peace terms but rather a "feeler" O which Welles might sound the al lies.
 Kept Confidence
 WelleS continued to Paris an London. He did not tell allied off cials the plan in detail, lest h violate German confidence, but h heard enough to know that the al lies would scoff at 1t; that the diff ferences between the allied and Ger man viewpoints were enormous.
 While Welles was in London, Vo Ribbentrop came to see MussoliI and Pope Plus asking their aid in German peace movement. Won Rib bentrop admitted that he had nc told Welles the full extent of con sessions that Germany would mak, because Welles might diclose the in formation to the allies. While con ferring with Mussolini, Won Rih bentrop agreed to include Italy claims against France in the plan, 1 token of Italy's position as "nC neutral, merely non-belligerent."
 He asked Mussolini to join in demonstration of axis solidarity, was said, in the belief that 1t woul cause France to reinforce the P Valley and other points on th Franco-Italian frontier and reliev the pressure on the western front.
 At the same time, the Vatican e the impression that Hitler was read to wage q great offensive" if h peace offers failed.
 Welles Back to Rome
 Then Welles returned to Rome. c route home. with word that the al lies would reject the Ii-polnt pla aS he heaM 1t. and were determine to fight until Hitlerisin was ds stroyed and Czechoslovakia and Pc land were restored. Weiles first co