Evening star., 1940-02-26
WeI,'es Confers
For Hour With
MussoIini
Talk. Follows Long
Conversation With
Count Ciuno
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
ROME, Feb. 26.-Undersecretary
of State Sumner Welles spent an
hour with Premier Mussolini to-
day going over the European prob
lens which Mr.. Welles came to in
vestigate for President Roosevelt.
The length of their conversation,
as well as the hour and quarter
which the American envoy spent
this morning with Foreign Minister
Count Galeazzo Ciano, heightened
diplomatic interest in his European
trip which is to include visits to
Berlin, Paris and London.
At 6 pm, just an hour and 10
minutes after the Undersecretary
had entered the Palazzo Venezia,
Mr.. Welles emerged and stepped
into his waiting car for the return
trip to his hotel.
Time for Deep Probe.
In view of the fact that Count
Ciano had given his father in law
a preparatory report on his talk with
Mr.. Welles, it was generally felt
that the hour gave Mussolini and
the American envoy time to probe
deeply into each others interests
and views concerning the war and
its repercussions.
The meeting between II Duce and
Mr.. Welles, here on a fact-finding
mission for President Roosevelt to
study conditions in war-torn
Europe's principal capitals, was ar
ranged quickly, the American hav-
ing arrived in Italy only yesterday.
Mr.. Welles is expected to proceed
from here directly to Berlin, where
he will be received by Fuehrer Hit
Ter, In day or two. There was
possibility he would visit Pope Plus
XII tomorrow, although members
OF Mr.. Welles' staff considered such
q meeting unlikely now in view of
the short time available to the State
Departments No. 2 man.
Accompanied by Phillips.
Mr.. Welles went to his confer
ence with Premier Mussolini ac-
companied by William Phillips. the
United States Ambassador, and by
Count Ciano's secretary, Marchese
Blasco d'Aieta. The meeting was
in Mussolini's Office in the Palazzo
VeneZia.
Mr.. Welles made it clear upon
his arrival in Italy yesterday that
he would have nothing to say about
his conferences.
After the Italian press yesterday
virtually ignored Mr.. Welles' arrival,
late afternoon papers Of the govern
ment-controlled press today gave
prominent display to the story,
stressing the length and cordiality"
of the Ciano- Welles meeting.
L'Osservatore Romano, the Vati-
can newspaper, devoted virtually its
entire front page to an enthusiastic
review of the relations between the
Vatican and the United States, tim
ing this with arrival here yesterday
of Myron c. Taylor, President
Roosevelt's new Vatican envoy.
No Mere Courtesy Cau.
The length of the conferences, sub
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the tone of a government COM
munique all made 1t evident that
the conversations had been of con-
siderable more importance than
ordinary courtesy calls" which some
italian sources had predicted would
be the extent of the first meetings
before Berlin, Paris and London
were visited.
The talks with Count Ciano were
conducted in English, which the
italian foreign minister speaks
duently.
Late afternoon papers of the
government-controlled press gave
front-page prominence to the meet
ing and each stressed "the length
and cordiality" of the meeting.
Considered significant of inspired
treatment was the fact that each
editor placed his story under two
column headline.
Overshadowing Mr.. Welles' con-
versations was continuation of de-
tails about little Princess Maria
Gabrielle, born Saturday morning to
Crown Prince Umberto and Crown
Princess Marie Jose.
The Fascist press yesterday pub
lished nothing about the arrival of
(See WEI .ES. PAGE A-4)