INVASION FEARS

Grey River Argus, 21 May 1943, Page 5

INVASION FEARS

ITALIAN UNREST Population War Weary ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATIONS. fAust & N.z. Cable Assn. I E LONDON, May 19, According to reports reaching Lisbon, many arrests were made following anti-war demonstrations m Italian cities. The police are said to be keeping a careful watch for signs of unrest and are assisted by the German military .authorities in civilian clothes. , , , . The Italians, with the last hope, of victory gone, and in daily fear of invasion, are utterly war-weary. The authorities are “doctoring” private radio sets in Sicily and Sardinia so that it is only possible for the owners to listen to the Rome radio. The sets owned by people who are considered to be politically unreliable are being confiscated, on the pretext that the army needs them. Reports continue to reach Zurich from Italy of growing public bewilderment in face of the latest war developments. Anti-Fascists .are still pinning their hopes on Crown Prince Umberto assuming the Crown and the leadership of the country. . A Rome broadcast to-day asked all Italians now abroad for business reasons to register immediately with their embassies and legations, and give explicit reasons for their absence from Italy. The Rome radio describes a leaflet which the R.A.F. dropped over Rome. The back page has a map with the caution: “The Allies will darken the sky over Italy,” showing the cities which will be subjected to Allied raids. The leaflet reads: “The air and naval superiority of the Allies is overwhelming, and is still growing. The Italians are doomed to destruction as long as a single German remains within the frontiers of their country. Our enormous forces are ready, and are only waiting for the order to march into Europe through Italy. We know the Italians want peace, but wanting is not enough. They must openly ask for it, and show by popular demonstration where they stand. Till then Italy will be subjected to incessant bombing and her industries will be systematically reduced.”

ATTITUDE OF PRESS. LONDON, May 19. The “Evening Standard” says: Veering round from bombastic claims that, invasion is impossible, the Italian press, led by Gaycla, has adopted a realistic view of the situation. Dr. Gayda, in an article in the “Giornale d’ltalia,” says: What' are the terms Washington and London might be prepared to offer us in exchange for unconditional surrender? As we stand to-day the alternative to further combat is national destruction if not oblivion. Is it not better therefore, to continue to fight a bit longer, despite the terroristic destruction of Italian towns and -villages if the end might be different ? Independent reports from well-in-formed Vatican sources mention an “ultimate demarche” by a high Vatican source to reach an acceptable compromise on the fate of the Mediterranean Basin as it affects Italy. Reuter’s correspondent says Mussolini has Called a meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee for Saturday. The committee is the real Italian Cabinet for dealing with antj-in-vasion measures.

Italian Broadcasts STRONG PROPAGANDA AGAINST BRITAIN. (Rec. 8.0.) LONDON, May 20. The strange course which Italian propaganda had taken in recent weeks, took a new turn to-day, when all the radio stations unleashed a | spate of fury against Britain. The I Express Listening Station intercept-| ed this as an attempt to whip the Italians into a fighting mood. The stations broadcast long, stories of British “beastliness,” not only in this war but in the Boer War and during the Irish troubles. The announcers frequently repeated the lie that the British were dropping explosive pencils, lipsticks, cough-dron tins .and other terror objects. One station insinuated that the British executed prisoners of war, asking: “Has man no longer any right to fight for his country in self defence ?” The commentator spent twenty minutes telling listeners" what dirty fighters the British were, declaring that British and American methods were not those of soldiers and men of honour. ITALIANS URGED TO FIGHT. (Rec. 10.55.) LONDON, May 20. Signor Bastianini, speaking to the Italian Senate, urged Italians to fight. “The law of life made this fight a necessity,” he said, “and it demands that we should resist an enemy who wants our enslavement. Italy refuses this fate. Italy does not want to renounce her honour.”

Pantellaria Bombed HEAVIEST RAID YET. LONDON, May 19. Allied aircraft yesterday bombed the harbour and airfield of the Italian island of Pantellaria. A correspondent says it was the heaviest raid yet made on the island. A strong force of medium bombers and fight-er-bombers made the .attack and scored hits on the docks, among parked aircraft, and on a number of small vessels in the harbour. The N.B.C’s. Algiers correspondent says that the raid was the heaviest yet made against the island. Over 90 tons of bombs were dropped on docks, shipping, and airfields. Photographic records* show that six merchantmen were directly hit in the harbour and that more than 12 small naval craft were wrecked. There was extensive destruction by fires in the dock area, and there were craters in the airfields.

German Precautions SWEDISH FRONTIER FORTIFIED. PLANS TO HELP ALLIES REPORTED IN FRANCE. May 19. The Swedish newspaper, “Social Demokraten,” reports that the Gelmans are fortifying the Swedish frontier Thev evidently expect that connections with Sweden will be severed in the event of an Allied invasion. French underground newspapers with circulations totalling several millions are issuing invasion instructions to French resistance groups, the instructions are as follows: From the moment of the Allied landing, all members of the resistance movement will be cons'dered mobilised, and will be supplied with arms. All economic activity must be paralysed. 'l' l } 6 ! -6 must be a general strike. All Vichy nolice must be dealt with—imprisoned or killed. All patriots in camps and prisons must be liberated. Occupy all key posts, public buildings, and radio stations, and renlace all tlm Vichv Administration’s leaders. ■ The French underground move-

ment believes the Germans plan to arrest all males between the ages or 18 and 56, immediately the Allies land, and intern or deport them from France. Advices reaching London state that Paris is now a city of old men. Any able bodied young Frenchmen are picked up on sight and reported to Germany. Avoiding this Gestapo dragnet is the most: important task of every Frenchman. “We are not likely' to allow Axis Europe any great length of time to recover from the battering it has just had,” says the Press Associations military correspondent. “The next phase of the war may come soon. The first blow in Russia is likelv to come from the Germans but the Red Army is readv not onlv to meet this third attack,‘ but also to deliver a counter blow which may send the enemy reeling back. There is an eerie pause at i the moment but it can be assumed i that Britain and’ America are assembling vast forces to strike at a ! time arid nlace which we hone will i take the enemy by surprise. That, is 'a factor which may well effect events l in Russia. An attack on Europe \ hangs like the sword of Damocles 'over Germany’s head. She has had ! to make dispositions in such a way I that she can have strategical reserves available wherever the sword may fall.” I I CAMPAIGN AGAINST YUGOSLAV i PATRIOTS. I (Rec. 10.0.) LONDON. May 20. The Berlin radio says that units of the Italian and German armies in the last few davs began another campaign against the bands commanded by General Mikhailovitch in Bosn’a.