ITALY’S CHIEF SOLDIER

Evening Star, Issue 22276, 29 February 1936, Page 2

ITALY’S CHIEF SOLDIER

MARSHAL BADOGLID FACES TEST Not a rod-bot Fascist, but too popular to bo ignored, AJar.siial Pietro Jkulogiio, the now Italian commander in-clncf in Ethiopia, nevertheless lias served Fascism well 'says the New York ‘Literary Digest’ of January 18). In return, Fascism, pushing politics aside, has not been niggardly in rewarding- him. Rapidly tie lias become Marshal of the Army, Marchcse del Sabotino, Governor-General of Libya, and Under-Secretary of War. Aside from all this, Marshal Badoglio is Italy’s premier soldier. He rose througu six promotions to become Assistant Chief of Staff during the World War.

After disastrous Caporetto he was largely credited with the brilliant counter-attack on the Piave. Italy hailed him as a national hpro, made him a senator for life, and gave him supreme command of the army. In 1921 he visited the United States on a diplomatic mission ; two years later he was Ambassador to Brazil. Sixty-four years old, he is a Sicilian by birth.' His square head and jaw and flattened nose often betray a pugnacious aspect. His deep-set eyes seldom smile. Yet, withal, his manner is dashing, kindly, courtly.

STRAIGHT AS A RAMROD,

Despite his years, his back is straight as a ramrod, and few military shoulders are as nattily adorned. Last November Premier Mussolini saw his Ethiopian campaign bogging down. His Generalissimo, the whitewhiskered Fascist Emilio do Bono, was following the slow-going old Roman “ conquer, build, conquer ” tactics. He was getting nowhere. Ethiopia was swiftly arming. The rainy season approached. Sanctions held a threat to Italian victory. 11 Duce wanted drum-fire action.

He called Badoglio from the War Office and bundled him off. Debarking at Massaua, Eritrea, the new Generalissimo, with his broad, sure strides, was a living symbol of thorough leadership, dependability, and confidence. “It is difficult to appraise the significance of this change,” remarked ‘ Current History ’ for January. “In some quarters Mussolini is believed to have become dissatisfied with de Bono’s cautious policy and to have demanded a more vigorous campaign. “ Others suspect that Mussolini wanted de Bono, who is an uncompromising Fascist, by his side in Rome as a precautionary measure, and that, since the Ethiopian war had reached a difficult stage, the lukewarm Badoglio was sent to shoulder the blame if there should be disaster.” SLOW ADVANCE. “ But the better opinion seems to be,” suggested the ‘ National Review ’ (London), “that Signor Mussolini expected a more rapid advance in six weeks than 60 miles in the north and double that number in the south.” Last week, already six weeks on the ground, Badoglio had got no further ahead than the poke-along de Bono. If reports from Addis Ababa were correct, he was back-sliding. ' The whole of the Tembien area around Makale—key invasion point in the north—the Ethiopians declared, had been reoccupied. From his snug headquarters Marshal Badoglio watched a prank of nature attempt to put a kink in his campaign. Prematurely, rains fell all over the northern froht. Worse, these so-called “light” rains of the January and February season were far from light. They were torrential. In many sectors newly-made Italian bridges, roads, camps, public works, and emplacements were washed out. Communications were endangered. Troop movements were cut to a minimum. Facing the fact that when these rams abate by March he will have only three months of dry weather before the heavy summer downpour, Badoglio sent a call home for more troops. GETS CRACK ALPINE He demanded the crack Alpini, the best mountain fighters in the world. II Duce immediately rushed off the valorous Val Pusteria, 17,000 strong. As a further concession to the old army, II Duce allowed regular generals to command Black Shirt divisions. Coupled with the demand for regular army units, this action caused much comment on the conduct of the devil-may-care Fascist soldiery who were expected to bear the brunt as well as reap the glory of the African campaign. Such a sudden turn of events was largely attributed to Badoglio. “He always has been somewhat of a lone wolf in the army, rising swiftly and spectacularly from lower commands to the top,” Lemuel F. Parton pointed out in a Consolidated- News Features copyrighted article. “ Friend and favourite of the Italian ‘ aristoi,’ he has conceded nothing to the ‘ sansculottes ’ which Italian Fascism raised to power, or to the learned rationalisations of the totalitarian State. “ Like the Emperor Augustus, modern dictators have to watch the Preforian Guard pretty closely. _ Italy has discovered this, and there is evidence that the high army clique now runs the country. . . . ■«., “ Badoglio is a monarchist, loyal to the House of Savoy, and when the March on Romo was forming he asked the King to lot him ' attend to the marchers. . . .”

The little King of Kings has commanded all of lus chieftains to refrain from attacking in a body, hut to pursue the guerrilla tactics so far successful. Haile Selassie also decided to continue leaning on foreign advisers. Arriving at Addis Ababa to augment his staff was John H. Spencer, 30-yeai-oid international law specialist from Grinnell College in lowa. On cue basis of such caution and patience, the London ‘ Sunday Times ’ said.:—

“ Failing a major blunder by the defender, the Luce seems to be up against a proposition that grows tougher as time passes.”