Word: ils
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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...before Nazi officials began to taunt newsmen with hints of impending "big doings." A Rumanian Army mission mysteriously turned up in Berlin, and reports came out that Adolf Hitler had offered to lend his "good offices" in persuading Russia and Hungary to be nice-not to invade King Carol Il's domain. For these good offices, the Führer "hoped" that Rumania would: 1) demobilize half her Army; 2) give the Nazis a monopoly on oil and grain exports; 3) admit a pro-Nazi Iron Guard into the Rumanian Cabinet to "safeguard German interests...
Sumner Welles, official U. S. roving factfinder, arrived back in Rome after a trip to Berlin, Paris, London. Without delay he saw Foreign Minister Count Galeazzo Ciano for 70 minutes, King Vittorio Emanuele for 45, Il Duce for 75. Mr. Welles held his tongue, but postponed his sailing back to the U. S. for a day. U. S. Secretary of State Hull denied in Washington that Mr. Welles had acted as an intermediary in Europe's quarrels...
Intermediary or not, Mr. Welles suddenly found himself a spectator at what could well be the greatest diplomatic squeeze play of the war. Sunday, from a Rome platform, Il Duce, wearing a dark civilian suit and carrying a heavy black coat, jumped into a special train and headed north. At about the same time in Berlin, the Fuhrer caught a southbound special express. Nobody but the diplomats involved-and Mr. Welles-had received the slightest notice of the rendezvous...
...steamers will be sent subsequently to those ports to load coal." Later came reports that British Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax and Italian Ambassador Giuseppe Bastianini had not only settled the dispute but had agreed to double Britain's coal exports to Italy. There were no further squawks from Il Duce, his papers or his representatives. Great Britain had won a grand slam...
...exceptions could be made. Furthermore, Italy did not necessarily need to import German coal when high grade Welsh or U. S. coal could be had in unlimited quantities. Nor would going to war with England provide coal for Italian factories and fireplaces. It would shut off the supply completely. Il Duce was indeed in a tight spot...