RALLY TO UMBERTO

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 134, 8 June 1944, Page 4

RALLY TO UMBERTO

BEWILDERED ITALY

PIN HOPE IN ROYAL HOUSE

CBy L, S. B. SHAPIRO) LONDON. King Victor Emmanuel's appointment of his son, Crown Prince Umberto. as Lieutenant-General of the Realm is considered by students of Italian affairs as an astute and not unexpected manoeuvre towards retention of the House of Savoy's monarchy. The 39-year-old Crown Prince is the most popular single figure in Italy, despite the efforts of democratic elements to reduce his stature.

This correspondent found adequate eye-witness evidence of Uraberto's popularity during three trips across the leg of Italy in the wake of the Allied advance to the present battle line. At that time Umberto was touring the liberated regions of the country, and his reception everywhere was such as to indicate that the Italian people are pinning their hopes for national stability on the tall, handsome scion of the House of Savoy. Umberto toured towns Immediately behind the front line in a low grey open car. He was accompanied only by two unarmed aides and a chauffeur, and shortly after his unheralded arrival in each town the whole of the populace gathered around his car and cheered him with cries of "Evviva Savoia!" His principal aide, aviator Major Francesco Campello, assured me that everywhere they went, completely unguarded, the reception was enthusiastic and touching. Only Permanent Link I found evidence of this when I caught up with the Prince in the town of Potenza. It was six days after the capture of the town by Canadian trcops. The people were still trying to clean up bombed and shelled districts; the food situation was critical; and the people were still horrified by the massacre of 21 civilians by retreating Germans in the nearby town of Rionero. Umberto spoke to me for more than an hour in the Albergo Lombardo. During that time some 6000 persons, more than half of the town's population, gathered around his car and waited patiently. When the Prince emerged he was greeted by hysterical cries of "Evviva Savoia!" and thousands surged round the car trying to shake hands with him.

Major Campello whispered: "The Crown Prince is the only Italian leader who could move among the people at this time completely unguarded. They trust him and love him."

After 21 years of totalitarian government the people have lost the feel of self-determination. Troubled, confused, distrustful, they are wanderers in the vast halls of their newfound liberty. They consider Badoglio merely a stop-gap; to them, Count Sforza is a new and largely unknown figure; they do not know what plans their conquerors have for them. If the nation is to retain some degree of cohesion during this transitional period the people must have a rallying point. This, invariably, is the Royal Family. And because Umberto is young and vigorous, the people have rallied to him.

Umberto is an attractive figure. He is 6ft 2in tall, smiles easily, and speaks English fluently. Except for a sizeable bald spot he looks younger than his years. His anxiety seemed equally divided between the future of Italy and the welfare of his wife "and the babies" living in Switzerland. On his field-marshal's uniform he wears a mourning band. This apparently signifies the defeat of Italy, not that of the Royal Family.— Auckland Star and N.A.N.A.