"What will Moscow decide? What will Washington decide? Italy might be caught between two giants....the United States and Soviet Russia.'
The "Temps" correspondent, on the other hand, suggested that Germany might be interested in preventing any extension of the war to the Balkans.
The German press is now advocate ing the maintenance of the status quo of the Balkans and also is insisting that Germany derives great advantages from Italian non-belligerency, the correspondent said.
"The Hitlerite press," the French writer said, "seems to indicate that at the present stage of the. conflict,' Berlin fears the outbreak of a chaotic complex struggle in the Mediterrancan, which would prolong the war and menace the Reich by exhaustion. Germany feels she must terminate the war as soon as possible."
Il Duce's present hesitation might only mark the "calm before the storm, however," the "Temps" writer warned. The political editor of "Lo Journal" said the situation was "still as critical as ever and diplomatic quarters still consider Italy's entry into the war as most likely in the near future." Similar comments in other Paris newspapers today indicated that France, while willing to negotiate with Italy regarding the Mediterranean status, is prepared to face every eventuality.—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.