-6-                             
 
                                                            
 
 
Italian neutrality the French Government declared itself  
willing to discuss matters on this basis: No concessions  
for Corsica or any other French Metropolitan parts, possi-  
bility of arrangements for Tunis and Gibuti. Ciano commented  
in his diary: "other things are wanted' They have not yet  
        understood that Mussolini wants - the war."         
 
                     REYNAUD'S MESSAGE                      
 
                                                            
 
 
Paul Reynaud made an extreme effort: he sent a perso-  
hal message to Mussolini. Franqois Poncet handed it over  
to Ciano in a sealed envelope. He never read it, nor was  
informed as to its contents. He merely got the instructions  
from Mussolini a few days later to communicate with Francois  
Poncet and inform him that the message was not acceptable.  
Ciano commented Mussolini would avoid partaking in the war  
in one case only: if Hitler should cease fighting. A few  
days later Count Ciano had two dramatic conversations with  
the Ambassador of Great Britain, as well as the French Ambas-  
sador. It was in the month of May and France was already on  
her knees after the German assault. Francois Poncet's face  
was lined with the sufferings of his country. He knew that  
Ciano was against the war. And at a certain moment he threw all diplomatic   
reserve away, saying: "The Germans are intolerable masters. Even You will   
        find that out." And his prophecy came true.         
 
                                                            
 
 
There were quite a few unpleasant incidents in those  
days. The walls of Rome were papered with ugly manifests of  
Fascist propaganda. Some British subjects were overtaken  
by the FascistS, as they tried to remove the manifests, and  
were punished by being mistreated. Sir Percy Lorraine  
                        presented...