COMPLICATIONS IN ITALY

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 306, 21 September 1943, Page 4

COMPLICATIONS IN ITALY

Both hi the military and the political sense, the situation for the Italian people is assuming a confused aspect. As reports indicate, Italian'forces in certain centres have turned against their former allies, the Germans; Mussolini is endeavouring to rally the Fascist elements to his discredited banner in continuation of his support for Hitler; while on the other hand, there are indications that the supporters of the King and Marshal Badoglio may join forces with the Allies. This situation should be studied in the light of the well-established fact that the Italian people are tired of the war, and want a settled peace. The Germans obviously realize that with Italy completely out of the war the Allies would reap important strategical advantages which, however, would be lessened if Italian territory remained a battleground, and the loyalties of the Italian people divided between allegiance to the King and support of Mussolini, this is plainly evident from the German attempts to bolster up Mussolini, and to convey the impression that the ex-Dictator is about to re-establish his authoiity. These tactics apparently have brought the King and the Badoglio Government face to face with a crucial question involving the possibilities of a prolonged period of internal factional strife among the Italian people themselves, while their own soil remains a battleground between the Allied and the Axis armies. At the time of writing, it would seem, as suggested in reports, that their best course for determining this complex situation as speedily as possible would be for tljem to throw in their lot whole-heartedly with the Allies. They, may also reason that by doing so they might, in the long run, obtain a more favourable peace settlement than had previously seemed likely.