DUCE ANNOUNCES DECISION

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 137, 11 June 1940, Page 7

DUCE ANNOUNCES DECISION

Fight Against "Plutocracies"

"MUST SOLVE PROBLEM OF FRONTIERS' 5

Declares Everything Done to Uphold Peace

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyrlgbt.) . (Received June 11,10.50 a.m.) LONDON, June 10. Italy has declared war on Britain »and France. A message from Rome states that a crowd of 100,000 waited an hour before Mussolini appeared on the balcony of the Palazzo Venezia, and his appearance was greeted with cries of "Duce, Duce," which were repeated when he announced that he had declared war. The crowd booed and shouted catcalls at every allusion to England and France, and when he declared: "I have said to Berlin that when we have a friend we inarch with him," the crowd shouted: "Sieg HeD, Sieg Heft" The crowd continued terrific cheering for five minutes after the speech. Large contingents of troops marched to the British and French Embassies and Consulates to guard ' them against hostile demonstrations after the speech. The British Embassy instructed Britishers to keep off the streets and avoid incidents.

The full text of Mussolini's speech is as follows: "Fighters of land, sea, and air, and air legionaries, men and women of Italy and the empire and of Albania, this is a grave hour for the Fatherland—the hour of an irrevocable decision. The declaration of war has already been decided on. We are going to war against plutocracies which are hindering and strangling our economic life. "Events in quite recent history can be summarised in these words: 'Half promises, constant threats, blackmail, and finally, as the crown of this ignoble edifice, the League siege by fiftytwo States.' Our conscience is clear. The whole world can testify that the Italian empire has done everything in its power to uphold peace. The promises of the Western Powers have proved that they amount to nothing, as can be seen from the guarantees given by them. "We take upon ourselves the risks and dangers of war because a great people like ours has to bear sacrifices. A great "'people cannot permit, others to hamper its development. Italy must solve the problem of her Continental and Mediterranean frontiers. "The democracies have been trying to halt the progress of the Italian people. We are going to war in order to break the chains which have been laid upon us. We shall defend our • territories everywhere. Only thus can a people numbering fifty-two millions remain free. It is the logical development of our revolution and of our fight. It is the fight of 'have-nots' against those who hold a monopoly of the world's wealth. , "This fight is the fight of young people against ancient conceptions. Our King-Emperor fully approves this great decision. The King has always understood the soul of our people. For the third time Fascist Italy enters war as one man. I have said to Berlin, 'When we have a friend we march with him.' "Now that the die has been cast I solemnly declare that Italy does not intend to involve any other countries in war. Yugoslavia, Turkey, Greece, Egypt, and Switzerland have my word of honour that their borders will be respected. It depends on them whether our pledge to them can be kept. "Today, on the eve of this outstanding event, I pay our respectful tribute to our King-Emperor and send our best greetings to the great German people. . '' Italians, proletarians, Fascists—you are more than ever united today. The order of the day is categoric and imperative for all—to conquer, and conquer we will. We fight for justice for Italy, for Europe, and for the world. Italians, show your endurance, your tenacity, your courage, your honour, and finally we will have a long period of peace for Italy, for Europe, and for the world." LONDON, June 10. Signer Mussolini has decided to throw in his lot with Hitler. His decision to declare war on Great Britain and France was announced this afternoon from the balcony of the Palazzo Venezia. A crowd of Fascists had gathered in the square, and when Mussolini appeared to speak he announced at once that he had taken the decision. The declaration of war, he said, had already been handed to the Ambassadors of Britain and-France. Then followed a speech which lasted only fifteen mniutes, and more than half that time was taken up by cheers and shouts from the crowd of Fascists. The speech contained little or no indication of the steps the Italian Government proposes to take and no reason which led Signor Mussolini to his decision. But he did declare that Italy did not mean to involve other people in the struggle, either by land or sea, and he added: "Greece, Turkey, Yugoslavia, Egypt, and Switzerland should take note of those words." He announced that Italy was going to war with what he called "the plutocratic and reactionary democracies of the West," and claimed that they had hindered the advances and threatened the existence of Italy. He gave no evidence of the supposed threats to Italy beyond mentioning events of recent history, and referring to threats, blackmail, and the imposition of sanctions by 52 States of the League of Nations. Italy had done everything humanly possible to avoid the storm which wals overwhelming Europe. It would have been enough to revise treaties, not to have persisted in the policy of guarantees; it would have been enough not to have rejected Hitler's proposals last October when the Polish campaign" came to an end. But all that belonged to the past. "We have today decided to face all the risks and sacrifices of war," he said. "A nation is not really great if it does not regard its undertakings as sacred and if it recoils from the supreme trials which decide the course of history. Mussolini said that Italy wanted to break off the chains which he said were strangling her in her own sea. "This gigantic struggle is only a phase of the logical development of our revolution," he said. It was a struggle against a people on the threshold of their decline. Then came the declaration that Italy did not mean to dragother people who were neighbours, by sea or land, into the conflict. He added that at a memorable meeting with Hitler in Berlin he had said that, in accordance "with Fascist morality, one would stand by a friend to*the end. "We have done this, and we shall do it with Germany, with her people, and with our own forces," he said.