The conversations between Premier Benito Mussolini and Ambassador William Phillips in Rome have aroused extraordinary interest here, particularly in view of the fact that they discussed, according to the Rome announcement “the whole European refugee problem.” The Nazis greeted the development as a step toward the goal of international treatment of the Jewish question, holding that it was a move toward the consideration of the Jewish problem as one for all of Europe rather than as strictly German.
The Rome correspondent of the Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung asserted that Mr. Phillips in effect had proposed that Italy set aside a part of her African Empire for Jewish colonization. The correspondent recalled that Italian East Africa had been mentioned for possible settlement at the meeting of the Fascist Grand Council. He also reported that the Tuesday conversations marked the second such meeting, Mr. Phillips having previously discussed the question with Italian Foreign Minister Galeazzo Ciano.
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