Evening star., 1940-03-18
BY the Associated Press.

BRENNERO, Italy, March 18.-
Adolf Hitler and Benito Musso-
lini conferred for two and a half
hours in a railway car in the his
toric Brenner Pass today, dis
cussing the war as it affects
both allied and, authoritarian
nations"
Meeting in a snowstorm at this
supposedly impregnable border be-
tween Italy and former Austria
once the gateway of Teutonic inva-
sion-the two statesmen held a talk
arranged suddenly at critical mo-
ment in Europe's affairs.
A brief announcement described
the talk as cordial. German quar-
ters in Berlin said the meeting was
ITO discuss all questions which con-
eern both allied and authoritarian
nations"
Behind the swiftly planned and
swiftly staged conference was the
figure of Sumner Welles, United
States Undersecretary of State now
In Europe on fact-finding mission
for President Roosevelt
Duce Had Data on Allied Aims.
Mr.. Welles on Saturday saw Mus
solini in Rome for the second time,
having gathered accounts of the
war aims of Great Britain and
France as we'll as Germany between
his two trips to the Italian capital.
Thus II Duce was presumably in
position to lay before Hitler the
latest allied peace aims.
The American Embassy said Mr..
Welles would see Mussolini again
only If II Duce asked for a meeting
At an early hour tonight it was said
Mr.. Welles had no appointment with
Mussolini and expected none.
iSecretary Hull said in his
press conference today that he
expected Mr.. Welles to sail We'd
nesday for the United States.
He left the implication that Mr..
Welles would see either Premier
Mussolini or Count Ciano again
before he leaves)
The world was not aware the
meeting of the dictators was to be
held until last night after Hitler and
Mussolini already had left their
capitals and today they were on
their way back home again almost
before the world could know they
had met.
Hitlers special train left for Ber-
lin at pm, IS minutes before
Mussolini started back to Rome.
Their conference, staged with the
barest of formalities, began at 1910
an. and had been expected to be
brief.
Linked with Peace Drive"
The historic meeting, linked In
diplomatic quarters with talk of
so-called peace drive" took place
in the parlor car of II Duce's train
on siding of this little Alpine
frontier station.
Except for the extremely brief
communique describing the talk as
cordial, nothing was known def
nitely of the nature of the conversa-
ton.
With the briefest ceremony Hitler
and Mussolini began their talk i'm
mediately after meeting. II Duce's
son-in-law and foreign minister,
Count Galeazzo Ciano, and the Ger
man foreign minister, Joachim Won
Ribbentrop, entered the special car
with their chiefs, and the four went
into a closed compartment, where
curtains were quickly drawn.
Hitler, unlike II Duce, speaks only
his native language. Mussolini
converses fuently in German and
French, as well as italian.
The train stood on the siding just
within italian territory in the his
toric Brenner Pass. The long plat
from was kept clear and so was a
space for some distance around the
station, from which are visible the
barrier gates between Italy and Ger
many. This was the frontier which
Hitler made common with Italy with
the annexation of Austria in March,
1898.
Only a few provincial, military
and civil authorities were at the
station for the meeting, carried out
with clockwork precision.
Troops Present Arms.
As Mussolini and Count Ciano
Ahghted from their train buglers
Of the honor guard sounded atten-
ton, while a battalion of Alpine
troops presented arms. II Duce
passed the guard in review and
then stood with members of his
party under the platform roof until