IL DUCE’S BOAST

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20489, 25 February 1941, Page 11

IL DUCE’S BOAST

FIGHTING BRITAIN “LAST PROP OF BLOOD” SIDE OF GERMANY EXCUSE FOR DEFEATS NOT READY FOR WAR (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Feb. 24, 1.30 p.m.) ROME, Feb. 23. Signor Mussolini, addressing a Fascist rally, said that Italy would fight to the last drop ol blood against England. He admitted that a tenth of the Italian army ha 4 been destroyed and also a fifth, of the air force. “I come to look you firmly in the eye and break my silence, saying we fight to the last,”' he declared. “We would have entered the war in September of 1939 if we had been prepared, but after the fighting in Ethiopia we received an appeal from Spain which we could not deny. Wc would have preferred the war to be delayed to build up material, but history takes one by the throat and forces a decision. It is our fate. “We have had most difficult fronts on all seas and in the African desert. The British attack in Africa preceded one we had planned for five to 10 days later. The British thus reached Benghazi. “The British claim to have lost only 2000 men in Libya is a lie. Britain must have lost 20,000. “These months exasperate our will and must intensify our hate for the enemy which is indispensable to victory. “We - probably will have to fight a long time, but the Axis will win. Britain cannot. Italy and Germany will march shoulder to shoulder to the end. Italy has an army of 2,000,000 * and if necessary 4.000,000. American Aid to Britain “American aid for Britain cannot compensate for all the losses inflicted by the Luftwaffe. Britain will soon be aware of Italian and German cooperation in the Mediterranean. New successes will come to us at all the four cardinal points. African territory will be retaken without difficulty when we want it. There are days of fierce fighting ahead on all the battlefronts. ‘‘Talk of a separate peace is idiotic. Tha war will end when Britain is defeated, unless the Dominions* wish to continue, at the risk of losing their independence. Neither Italy nor Germany intends to attack the United States. ■‘■lt is ridiculous to expect a further weakening of Italy. This will never occur. Real Italian fighters and workers must not be misled by a. few anti-social persons complaining about rations. “The United States have formidable industries but their aid must reach England and algo surpass Germany’s production. This is impossible. “The British armies must invade the Continent in order to conquer the Axis. No Briton would ever dream of such a step.” Signor Mussolini went to great lengths to prove that careful preparations; had been made for the war in Libya, which, he said, was “always considered most important strategically." Ha said that over 14,000 officers and 356,000 men were sent to Libya equipped with 1900 guns of all calibres of the most recent types, 15,300 machine-guns, 11,000,000 artillery shells and a billion rounds of ammunition for automatic weapons, 24,000 tons of clothing and 75.9 armoured cars.