The Wilmington morning star., 1945-06-22
APRIL 15-JUNE 1, 1899.


APRIL 15-JUNE l, 1889.
Count Ciano, Mussolini's son-in-
law, brought home new alliance
from Berlin in May, 1899 and some
fresh gossip in his notebooks about
beautiful bedroom companion OF
Hitler, and of Goering in tears be-
cause Ribbentrop had been award
ed Italy's highest decoration with
silver collar OF loveknots and
roses.
Ciano's intimate diaries for the
period Immediately after the sue
cessful blow against Albania be-
gin with a snubbed peace appeal
from President Roosevelt, and end
with an interview between Musso-
lini and the British ambassador on
such an arrogant note that Sir Per
cy Lorraine literally talked to him.
SELF all the way home. The Axis
was riding high.
Ciano writes: !!
April 10" Roosevelt has sent a
message proposing 10 years Of
peace. II Duce, at first refused to
read it. Then he described it as
the result OF progressive para1y-
sis
April 16-'Two long CONVEX
sations with Goering (who arrived
April 40. The feature that dis
turbs me most is the tone in which
he describes relations with Poland.
It reminds me immensely of that
used for Austria and Czechoslo-
vakia."
War Clouds Gather Over Poland.
April 20 After II Duce's sg-
gressive speech about Roosevelt's
message, 1 accompanied him to
Palazzo Venezi and showed him a
grave report from Attolico (ambas-
| sador to Berlin) which announced
imminent German action against
Poland. This would mean war.
We must be able to prepare our
selves, and we must prepare pub
lie opinion so it will not be sur
prised.
my impression of Czaky Hun-
garian foreign minister) is more
and more negative. In an offhand
way today he declared his con-
viction that Hitler is crazy. He
based this on watching the
Fuehrer's eyes. and on the alb
surdities he spoke. :"
April "a ''The minister from
Holland, a good and reserved man
says he is alarmed about
what is happening in Europe, and
about what people say is still to
occur. Certain officers have told
him that we and the Germans have
decided to divide all Europe be-
tween us. Holland would belong to
Germany. I answer him jokingly,
! and then I reported the CONVEX
sation to II Duce who was vastly
amused"
April % -. 1.-THE Fuehrer has
delivered a speech. .Brevity is
not his primary trait. The speech
not his primary trait. Thespeech
is less war-mongering than one
might have supposed. No nation
wants war today. Il ask myself
seriously whether German move
against Poland might not lead to
a new Monaco ttiny Italian border
state) in spite of the declarations
and mutual guarantees. The
Anglo-Soviet alliance seems now to
be a concrete and established
fact..'
Bemoans Inadequacy Of italian Ar
my.
April 20 - II do not have exact
information about the army Gtal-
lam, but the many rumors I hear
are pessimistic. i. They multiply
the number Of divisions, but these
are actually SO small as to have
little more than the strength of a
regiment. The ammunition depots
are unstocked. Artillery is outnnod.
ed. Our antiaircraft and antitank
weapons don't exist. There has
been a good deal Of bluffing in the
military line and even II Duce has
been deceived. It is a tragic bluff. !"
| May 8 - Il received Sir Percy
Lorraine, the new British ambas-
sador. who is naturally tinid. !.
Rome is difficult post. Lord
Perth (retiring ambassador has
adapted himself so as to become
one of our men. Will Lorraine do
the same? That is possible
May 6 - "Milan's welcome to
Won Ribbentrop effectively dispels
| the legend. that north Italy is
deeply anti-German. z
j Te alliance, or rather its i'm