(2 of 2)
Repudiating rumors that King Vittorio Emanuele and Crown Prince Umberto opposed the Axis policy which might have carried Italy into war, the Foreign Minister said that on the contrary His Majesty and His Royal Highness, foreseeing this possibility, had "asked the privilege and honor of serving the country in arms." He warned Britain and France that "real peace" will be impossible to get if they insist on Austria, Czecho-Slovakia and Poland regaining their independence. Nor will Italy, declared Ciano, attempt to create a Balkan Bloc. In a slap at the Allied blockade control he concluded: "Italy continues to follow the conflict, ready to contribute to world peace, but also to defend her shipping and her air lines."
Year ago in the Italian Chamber of Deputies, "spontaneous" demands for "Tunisia! Corsica! Djibouti!" all French protectorates, were vociferously raised. Last week Fascist Editor Virginio Gayda, lamented that the two outlets to Italy's mare nostrum, the Mediterranean, were "closed," suggested it would be nice for Italy if British-owned Gibraltar and British-protected Suez changed hands.
After spending 15 days in Rome waiting to be presented to the King of Italy and instead listening to the anti-Soviet demonstrations of Fascist youths, Soviet Ambassador Nikolai Gorelchin suddenly departed for home, leaving the impression that he is not likely to return to such a hostile capital very soon.