Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 1940. ITALY’S ENTRY INTO WAR.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 211, 14 June 1940, Page 4

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 1940. ITALY’S ENTRY INTO WAR.

Italy’s entry into the war has taken place exactly as was to be expected from; such an opportunist as Mussolini. With the Allies hard pressed in Funce li Duce has hopes of gaining such an initial advantage in the spheres allotted to his forces as to give the Axis Powers the supremacy. The accession of military strength to the enemy is a serious thiag in itself, but there is one factor that must be placed as an offset in the scale. From the date of her military alliance with Germany, Italy has been a potential enemy-and when hostilities against the Reich broke out it was necessary to have in reserve forces sufficiently strong to meet any attack delivered at the minimum of notice. But the holding of such a reserve was not an adequate defence against actual hostilities, because the qualified non-belligerency so long maintained by Italy prevented the taking of all the measures that are now legal under the rules of war. For instance, the Italians in Cairo had to be treated as strictly neutrals, though without doubt strict watch was maintained to hartiper any subversive activities they might have engaged in. lit is now open war and the Allies know exactly what to do. As Mr Attlee said in his statement to the House of Commons history does not record any more wanton or inexcusable declaration of war. Britain and France have repeatedly expressed readiness to consider any real grievances Italy may have, but that readiness has not been availed of. All that/ Mussolini has done is to inflame his people by recounting supposed wrongs and calling on them to right those matters by resort to arms. In some respects he has an even worse case than his co-dicta-tor, Hitler. One of the great complaints against the democracies was that they dominated the Mediterranean to the disadvantage or Italy. History shows that since the Italians became a united people they have acquired territory in Africa and have suffered no loss elsewhere. Certainly thev have been checked in designs for extension of their realm at the expense of smaller European nations. « It- is this check that Torms the only basis of Mussolini’s complaint. His action has resulted in the Mediterranean being completely blocked. This must vitally affect the economic side of the conflict. No less than eighty-five per cent, of Italy’s suplies from abroad, including such vital war materials as rubber arid oil, are carried across the Mediterranean, sixty per cent, of them passing through either Gibraltar or Suez. Thus there is blocked the greatest gap in the British contraband control, for there is no doubt that Italy has been enabled to provide Germany with materials from lack of which both countries must now suffer.. News of the prompt action against Italian shipping by the Allied Navies most probably has not been communicated to the Italian people, but it cannot be long before the inevitable effects must assert themselves to show how grievously II Duce has misled his followers.