PRISONERS IN EGYPT

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23411, 19 August 1941, Page 9

PRISONERS IN EGYPT

PROBLEM FOR BRITISH AUTHORITIES

RETURN TO ITALY SUGGESTED LISBON, June. 9,

To the British Middle East Command Italian war prisoners and internees have become one of the most serious problems in the defence of the Suez. .Italians have always outnumbered Englishmen in Egypt, and Fascist organisations lave made them potentially dangerous fifth columnists, so that in addition to 90,000 prisoners of war in the Middle East, it is estimated that the British hold 110,000 Italian civilians there and in Ethiopia. A radical solution has been suggested to London, it is learned on good authority to-day by one of the British groups charged with tne feeding, welfare, and surveillance of this numerous horde. It has been suggested that they should all be returned to Italy. The British Government may not approve the suggestion or may not be able to arrange for Mussolini's co-op-eration through the Vatican, or the International Red Cross, but many, quarters in Cairo think it an ideal solution. ' „ There' is no fight left in Italian war prisoners, it is said, and their return to Italy with the Italian civilians would confront Fascism with 200,000 propagandists for a separate peace—propagandists who could not be silenced and who would be listened to in every village. Mussolini’s refusal to accept them would be difficult to keep secret, moreover. The British have the goodwill of these prisoners because they have been treated well, and their officers even paid salaries. , The only group discriminated against are officers of the Fascist Blackshirt militia. They are not treated as army officers, but must dig ditches and work like common foot soldiers. This in itself has aroused enthusiasm among the Italian regular officers, who long suffered at the hands of these political-minded Fascist amateurs. .