BOMBING OF ROME.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 63, Issue 218, 25 June 1943, Page 4

BOMBING OF ROME.

THE LATEST

THE DECLARATION OF POLICY. WELCOMED BY NEWSPAPERS. VIEWS OF ARCHBISHOP OF YORK (N.Z. Press Association— Copyright.) (Rec. 1.35 a.m.) LONDON, June 24. “Rome will be bombed unless it is declared an open city. We welcome this declaration of Royal Air Force policy, 1 ’ says the “Evening Standard.”

“All we ask now is that the threat having been made, it will be carried out effectively and in good time. Rome is the nerve-centre of the Fascist regime and the bastion of Fascist morale. It boasts great industrial plants and a. network of communications vital to the Italian war effort. From Rome Mussolini directed that Italian airmen join the Luftwaffe in raining death on London. The time to reveal our power is now. We seek no reprisal for the destruction here of GOO churches, seek no revenge against the vandalism which blasted the irreplacable treasures o'f some of our loveliest cathedrals and many of our oldest churches to dust, but we have allowed too long a tender regard for the historic monuments of a cradle of civilisation to dictate our policy in prosecuting the war against the Fascist homeland. “We have the opportunity to force from Mussolini the final word on the fate of Rome—a word which will symbolise capitulation.” The Archbishop of York, Dr. Garbett, revealing in the York diocesan leaflet that lie had been receiving letters protesting against the Allied bombing of Axis towns, wrote in reply: “The justification for continuing the bombing is that it will shorten the war and may save thousands of lives. Those who demand the cessation of all bombing are advocating the policy which will condemn many more of our soldiers to death and postpone the hour of liberation, which alone will save from massacre and torture those who are now in the Nazis’ power Me must continue to use our superiority jn the air, however much we deplore the sufferings of civilians and the destruction of homes and beautiful buildings.”