NO CHANGE IN POLICY

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 268, 7 August 1943, Page 5

NO CHANGE IN POLICY

Unconditional Surrender Of Italy RUGBY, August 5. "It has been our policy, and will continue lo be our policy. There has been no change, and I anticipate no change,” the Lord Privy Seal, Lord Cranborne, said when reiterating in the House of Lords the determination of the Allies to demand the unconditional, surrender of Italy, states British Ollieial Wireless. Referring to a suggestion that it would be right for the Allies to offer better treatment than unconditional surrender to a "popular Government” in Italy, he said he did not. believe that would be right. The reason why we wanted the unconditional surrender of Italy was so that we should be able to prosecute the war to the greatest , extent against Germany. That situation would exist whatever" Government was in power in Italy. As to the machinery which existed to ensure the fullest Allied co-operation in regard to policy, Lord Cranborne said that apart from ollieial communication through ambassadors and daily constant personal messages between the Prime Minister and Mr. Roosevelt there were day-to-day discussions on (he military aspect of lite campaign by a special committee at Washington. M. Stalin had been informed throughout of the .nature and character of the Sicilian operations. Tie was told soon after the Casablanca Conference what, was intended. On till matters aflecting high policy regarding developments in Italy the Soviet Government had been kept in full l touch and was iu full agreement with ‘the policy requiring unconditional surrender. In his speech Lord Cranborne cleared up what he called a baseless suspicion, and said there had been no deliberate lull actuated by feelings of tenderness for the new Italian Government. Ou lite contrary. so far as the hind operations in Sicily were concerned. _ the temporary leso’ening of offensive action was entirely due to the fact that we were moving up reinforcements before making the assault against the Axis.