ELATIONS between Italy and Great Brit jin seemed on Saturday night to have taken a decided turn for the better when Sir Samuel Hoare, Bi ish Foreign Secretary, conferred at length and in secret with the Italian Ambassador to London, Signor Di Grandi.
The reduction of both Bi ish troops in the Mediterranean and the I lion troops concentrated on the Egyptian border was the chief item of their consideration, Havas learns. The statesmen also discussed, however, the minimum terms for peace which would be subscribed to by Italy.
Itis officially admitted in London, reports Reuter, that tentative suggestions for the termination of hostilities between Italy and Abyssinia have been exchanged between Rome and Paris.
It is further admitted that a slight reference to such a possibility was made during the conversations between Signor Mussolini and Sir Erie Drummond, the British Ambassador in Rome.
Soundings to find an end to the conflict are believed to have originated in Paris when M. Pierre Laval, the French Premier and Foreign Minister, saw the Papal Nuncio and Signor Cerruti, the Italian Ambassador in Paris.
Tt is reported that M. Laval, at that time, submitted a programme which included the cession of a large part of Ethiopia to Italy and the cession of the port of Zeila, in British Somaliland, to Abyssinia, although this port can only be reached through ceded Italian territory.
Nevertheless, the gap between this offer and Signor Mussolini's desire could not be bridged. Despite this, however, peace soundings by France have persisted and the British Government has been Kept informed throughout.
It is assumed, therefore, that Signor Mussolini has now modi~ fied his demands for a mandate over the whole of Abyssinia.
The dimeulties in the path of these negotiations are still seen to We in decided to drop any referesice sri th The document cent nine typewritten pages, and pledges naval support to Great Britain in conformity with virtue of provision for collective sanctions contained in Article XVI, paragraph 3, of the League Covenant, Havas understands.
Gen. Emilio De Bone on Friday declared the entire mili!.-v situation the northern front to be "satisfy tory".
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.