him to adduce positive facts in support of this.
 
      
 
 
7.Against this Herr Hitler's pledge to Italy in his Reichstag 
      speech of January 30th is disquieting in view of the present 
      state of Franco-Italian relations, particularly as Baron yon 
      Weiszaker replied to an inquiry regarding the precise significance 
      of Herr Hitler's words that any close analysis was superfluous 
      since it was quite clear that Germany would support Italy in 
      the event of war.
 
      
 
 
8.As regards Italy we believe the average peace strength of 
      the Italian army at this time of year, i.e. before the annual 
      class of recruits has joined the colors may be a little over 
      two hundred and fifty thousand rising to as much as four hundred 
      and fifty thousand when the recruits have joined. We believe 
      that sixty thousand reservists of 1901 class have been called 
      to the colors but that many of them have been found unfit for 
      service or unable conveniently to leave their jobs and have therefore 
      been released; their places have however been taken by other 
      reservists from later classes particularly that of 1902. We have 
      heard reports that 1918 class may join the colors in the immediate 
      future instead of at the beginning of April which is the usual 
      time. If definite evidence of this were obtained it might be 
      a pointer, though the presence of so many untrained recruits 
      in the army would temporarily decrease its efficiency. Apart 
      from this a number of individuals of various classes have been 
      called up but we have no information as to the numbers involved 
      nor as to the use to