Berlin, Sept. 27.
A great state banquet was given in honour of Signor Mussolini by Chancellor Hitler this evening at the Reichs Chancellery and was attended by the Italian Cabinet Ministers, Count Ciano and Signors Starace and Alfieri; the Italian Ambassador, Dr. Attolico, and the Embassy staff, members of the Reichs Cabinet, many leading personality of National Socialist political and of the defence forces as well as representatives of science, art and economic affeirs, numbering altogether over 200 persons.
Chancellor Hitler toasted his distinguished Italian guest as follows: "Your Excellency, as Fuehrer and Chancellor of the German nation I have the great honour and pleasure of extending to Your Excellency a cordial welcome to the capital of the Reich. In this festive hour the German nation welcomes with me in you the creator of Fascist Italy and the founder of a new Imper-ivin. On your journey through Germany Your Excellency will have learnt from the great enthusiasm shown by all sections of the German people that your visit means more io us than a mere diplomatic and accordingly purely—conventional meeting.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.