NERVOUSNESS IN ITALY

Evening Star, Issue 24917, 15 July 1943, Page 5

NERVOUSNESS IN ITALY

INCREASED BY SGARGITY OF NEWS LONDON, July 14. Rome radio, in a broadcast in English designed for Britain, claimed that the Italians in Sicily had hot intended to try to stop the British landings. " British and American units on the fourth day after the landing," the announcer said, " are still on the narrow strip of coastline where they first landed."'

Another commentator admitted that there was nervousness in Italy, and that it had been increased by the scarcitv of news from Sicily. The Steffani Agency, quoting the 'Bologna newspaper ' Avvenire,' says: " The battles going on in Sicily are as hard and serious as those fought in Russia and the Pacific. The attack on, our territory is ' apparently intended as the start of invasion of the Continent."

The newspaper ' II Lavoro Fascista ' said: " The struggle is hard, but only in the first phase. Everything indicates that the battle will be long and bitter." The ' Daily Telegraph's ' diplomatic correspondent says the German authorities are already preparing for Allied occupation of Italy. News has reached London that large quantities of pamphlets in Italian are heing printed at The Hague and elsewhere. These will be scattered over Italy, instructing the population in methods of resistance to the army of occupation.