London, May 13.
Sir Percy Loraine, British Ambassador, has asked the Italian Government for an explanation of an incident in Rome on May 11, when certain members of the staff of the British Embassy are reported to have been molested, it is learned in authoritative circles here today. Sir Percy, it is further learned, was instructed by the British Government to draw the attention of the Italian Government to the unfortunate impression likely to be created by posters of an anti-British character.—Reuter.
Britons Prepare to Leave n n Winston Churchill a og the House of Rome, May 13.
The British Consulate here has advised British subjects residing temporarily in Italy to prepare to leave the country should an emergency arise. The British Legation in the Vatican City gave a similar notification to seminarists residing there.
The police guard has been strengthened round the British and French Embassies here with a view to preventing any demonstrations from taking place. Several hundred Italian youths paraded through the streets of Rome this morning shouting slogans against the Allies—Havas.
Italian Defences Strengthened with the danger e landings in Englant as asked whether he would con-
The Duce yesterday received Mar-Rome, May 33. shal Graziani, Chief of Army Staff; General Soddu, Under-Secretary of State for War, and Generals Pintor and Guzzoni. The last two have been charged with perfecting defences of the western frontier in the Littorio Alps. Reports are circulating that new classes have been called io the colours by individual summonses.
Signor Mussolini spent some hours yesterday and on Saturday piloting his three-engined bombing plane on a tour of inspection that reached as far as Monte Circeo, south of the capital, the Pontine Marshes and Ostia. An announcement says he was inspecting a railway plant and lines.
Anti-British posters appearing on walls in Rome led to an incident yesterday when an Englishman who tore ter was set upon by Black-shirts, along with three friends, including an Englishwoman and an American, and was chased into a hotel.
When Sir Noel Charles, British Charge d'Affaires, intervened, an anti-British poster was stuck on his car, but removed after he had telephoned to the Italian Foreign Office.
Activity by Fascist extremists wa also in evidence by the burning of a number of copies of the Vatican organ, "Osservatore Romano," in the street ment and the nation that this should the broadest possible last night. Bundles of copies of this impartial newspaper are bought up by mysterious persons ds soon as they reach newspaper kiosks in order to prevent them from reaching the public.
Press Resumes Campaign "I have already completed the most t of these tasks. A War "in the Cabinet has been formed of five d that|members representing, with Opposi-ill be made Liberals, EIE odes lave agreed to the unity of the nation. in the a Cabinet in which execu-the three fighting services been filled.
"It was necessary that this should be done on one single day on account 0- lof the extreme urgency and rigour of events. A number of other key sion positions was filled yesterday.! I am a further list to His Ma-
The Allied Contraband Control is again severely criticized by newspapers following publication of a report by the Italian Bureau of Economic Warfare, "Intolerable, piratical and arbitrary" are some of the adjectives applied to the Anglo-French Contraband Control, In "Voce d'Italia,"
Signor Virginio Gayda, reputed to be the mouthpiece of the Duce, describes the control as "an open and brutal violation of every principle of liberty on the sea,"
Publication of the report by ihe Bureau of Economic Warfare is [The appointment of other Ministers usually takes a little longer, but "trust that'when Parliament meets this part of my task will have been completed, and that the admin-will be complete in all reconsidered in responsible circles here to mean that the Fascist Government has decided that a satisfactory solution of the problem is unattainable through normal diplomatic channels,—Reuter,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.