BELIEVED AT END OF TETHER

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 7, 3 October 1941, Page 7

BELIEVED AT END OF TETHER

Italians’ Situation DEMONSTRATIONS IN SICILY Sequel To R.A.F. Raids (By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Received October 2, 9.10 p.m.) LONDON, October 2. The Ankara correspondent of “The Times” says that the reports confirm that the Italians are at the end of their tether and the situation in Italy is critical. There is a great shortage of equipment and raw materials. The Germans asked the Italians, for 10 divisions for Russia, but they were able to send only three divisions and four battalions of Blackshirts. The discontent is growing fast throughout Italy,, and serious riots have occurred in Sicily, where anti-Fascist demonstrations followed R.A.F. raids. According to Reuter’s Ankara correspondent,, travellers say that German deliveries of munitions to Sicily are irregular, and this accounts for the poor resistance by the Italian anti-aircraft defences. The Italians are now saying, “If Germany wins Italy loses her freedom. If Britain wins, Italy loses her empire.” Tobruk’s resistance is depressing the Italians, whose only consolation is the sight of the many German soldiers in Sicilian hospitals suffering from sunblindness and dysentery. Business Paralysis. The “New York Times” correspondent in Rome says that Italians are stunned and bewildered by the sudden rationing, the sales ban on consumer goods for a fortnight, and the threats of new and radical steps to come. In the space of three weeks Italians have seen the whole of the ordinary ‘world crumble about them. Italian industry is at least half paralysed by the measures that came suddenly and unforeseen.- All businesses and shops have been ordered to keep open, though they cannot sell anything for a fortnight. This means that all overhead expenses continue with no receipts coming in. The stock markets crumbled under a series of crushing blows. Many of the leading shares have plunged down 20 to 30 per cent, since Saturday. In addition to severe food rationing, heat can be turned on in houses only for 40 days this winter, instead of 120 days last winter, and gas consumption has been drastically curtailed. Nazi Rationing Pressure. An authoritative source in London (says British Official Wireless) comments that the rationing measure appears to have two main aspects. Italy, which has been exporting textiles mainly to Rumania, has beep boasting that she could do so when the rest of the Continent could not, and also boasting that she was still unrationed. But the clearing arrangements between Italy and Rumania lately have been unsatisfactory to the latter. The Italians have fallen behind with the barter of petroleum and possibly cereals. They have drawn on their petroleum reserves, and now they can only export textiles. Secondly, as Germany is in control in Rumania, her hand can clearly be seen in the Italian rationing measures. She has increased her pressure. Probably she has determined that Italy shall be the provider of textiles for the occupied territories and has forced her to review the whole textiles position.