The Northern Advocate Daily “NORTHLAND FIRST” Registered for transmission through the post as a Newspaper MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1940. What Of Italy?

Northern Advocate, 9 December 1940, Page 4

The Northern Advocate Daily “NORTHLAND FIRST” Registered for transmission through the post as a Newspaper MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1940. What Of Italy?

A SITUATION of grave moment to the future of Italy is devoloping. It would be foolish to place entire confidence in reports emanating from various capitals, or upon the comments of observers, but it would be equally foolish to close eyes to the obvious fact that far-reaching developments are to be expected in Italy.

Ever since the March on Rome, Mussolini has reigned as the supreme head of the Fascist State in Italy. He might have worn the king’s crown, but he had wit enough not to outrage irretrievably the royalist element of the nation.

Accordingly King Emmanuel retained his throne, but Mussolini has been supreme ruler of Italy, his being the decisive word in all matters of domestic as well as national and international policy.

Dictators have invariably crashed, as the history books reveal, and it is not at all unlikely that Mussolini is to prove that history repeats itself. Most interesting news in support of this possibility is coming to hand. Mussolini is being openly saddled with responsibility for the ill-starred attack on Greece. He has apparently won the disapproval of his own army and navy, while it is common belief that Hitler is anything but pleased with the role his fellow gangster has played in Greece. It is open to question, indeed, whether the Italian effort since Mussolini entered the war has been such as to merit Hitler’s approval.

Today we are told that, in addition to Marshal Badoglio, the Italian naval commander-in-chief has resigned, and that the commander in the Dodecanese Islands has done likewise.

Further than that, there are reports that over 40 leading Italian officers of high rank have relinquished their posts. All these resignations, it is said, have been tendered as a protest against the attack on Greece, fop which Mussolini is held directly responsible. This is surely a new departure so far as modern dictators are concerned, though its counterpart is to be found in history. What is to be the outcome of these resignations, following hard upon the heels of a humiliating defeat of Italy in Greece and Albania? Will it be the retirement of Italy from the war, or will it mean, as there is reason to suspect even at this early date, that Germany will dominate Italy by force of arms. There ajre suggestions that .Marshal Badoglio’s resignation was influenced by the insistence of Hitler upon German direction of Italy’s war effort. With a discredited and unpopular dictator, the internal fabric of an Italy never enthusiastic about participation in the war would be torn asunder if Germany attempted to control the nation. Without German leadership there would seem to be little likelihood that Italy will be able to do more than she has done against Britain either in Africa or in Europe. On the other hand, Italy’s co-operation with Britain would hold out hopes for reward never to be secured if war against Britain is continued. Will the Italians realise this? We shall 566. ’ It is inconceivable that Nazi leaders will not make use of the huge army he is believed to have assembled in the Balkans. Yet, in the face of Bulgarian, Turkish and Russian opposition, which is regarded as an established fact, it is difficult to see what Hitler can do in the dead of winter. It may be that he intends to wait until next spring, but developments in Italy in the meantime will condition any action he may plan to make when the winter is over. It is clear that if the menace of the Italian army in Africa were removed, so that the British forces in the Western Desert might be freed for service in the Near East and the Middle East, no more would be heard of Hitler’s south-eastern drive. The blows Italy is sustaining at the present time, coupled with the attacks on the prestige of Mussolini, are therefore matters of supreme importance.