ITALY’S FUTURE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 64, Issue 30, 15 November 1943, Page 3

ITALY’S FUTURE

BADOGLIO’S STATED INTENTION, TO RESIGN WHEN ROME FALLS. DIFFERENCE OVER ABDICATION. (N.Z. Press Association— Copyright.) (Rec. 10.45 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 14. Marshal Badoglio intends to resign as soon as Rome falls. He made this statement to correspondents at his headquarters, adding that lie had formed a Cabinet of experts because representatives of democratic parties led by Count Sforza refused to enter any Government until King Victor Emmanuel had abdicated.

The correspondents state that when Count Sforza and Signor Croce refused to join the Government unless the King abdicated, the Crown Prince renounced bis succession, and the Crown Prince’s youngest son became King under a regency, Marshal Badoglio told them: “The first think to do is to free Italy of the Germans—to make radical political changes now would only upset the liberated zone and thus hamper the Allies, and would forestall the wishes of the whole Italian people, which could be expressed only after all Italy was freed.” Meanwhile, say the correspondents, there were two further developments. Experts of the Allied Commission began to arrive in Italy ready to set to work on the problems of liberated Italy and tlie political leaders decided that Badoglio should resign and leave the task of government to politicians. So Badoglio decided to re-form the Government with experts acting nominally as under-secretaries but with the powers of Ministers, so they can begin work with the Allied experts, and he has promised to retire as soon as the Allies reach Rome. The King has agreed.

As an illustration of the far-reach-ing loyalty of Italians to the King, Marshal Badoglio pointed out that all Italian Ambassadors except in Berlin had preferred arrest and concentration camps rather foreswear allegiance to the House of Savoy. Marshal Badoglio said that Italy had recognised Russia as a co-belligerent and the Communist Party was legalised in Italy, and was free to publish a newspaper. Trade unions were being re-established, and 100 Fascists were already in concentration camps in the liberated zone. He hoped soon to see Italian mountain troops in action against the Germans. —British Official Wireless.