Rome, Sept. 9.
Developments in the Czech-Sudeten situation are watched very calmly but also very closely by Italy, a somewhat vigorously worded note in the "Informazione Diplomatica" asserts today.
Declaring that Rome's attitude is favourable towards the claims of the Sudeten leader, Herr Konrad Henlein. in conformity with the spirit of the Rome-Berlin axis, the note recalls that the Henleinist eight-point progranime outlined last April "never did go so far as to claim the secession of the Sudeten districts to Germany.
"This radical solution has been Lord Runciman, British mediator in Prague, was singled out for a bitter attack, but criticism was not expressed in editorials, Soviet Government spokesmen retrained from expressing- official opinion as to whether the Soviets will help Czechoslovakia in case of war other than assert "we shall honour all our international obligations."
The recent declaration by M. Maxim Litvinoff, Foreign Commissar, that the Soviets would help Czechoslovakia under the mutual assistance pact provided France does, was often repeated.
Czech circles here were quite optimistic. Despite German military manœuvres and activity of German troops on the Czech border, there was no evidence here, however, of Soviet belief in the imminence of war—United Press. advocated only by some influential rs like 'The Times' of the Italian news organ adds conclusion, it asserts that the aggravation of the present situation may be avoided if Prague,"becomes more realistic."—Havas.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.