Churchill Broadcast Reactions

Northern Advocate, 26 December 1940, Page 6

Churchill Broadcast Reactions

LONDON, December 25.

The British Broadcasting Corporation took all steps to ensure that the Italian people received Mr. Churchill’s broadcast by sending out, at 7.30 p.m., before Mr. Churchill spoke, a translation of the speech on the usual wave length. According to a message from Rome, Mr. Churchill’s broadcast was heard: by a maximum of only a few thousand people in Italy, mainly foreign diplomats and journalists. Several hundred Italians, mostly governmental, military or Fascist officers, whose job is to keep a check on foreign radio broadcasts, also heard the speech, but not the bulk of the public, which is forbidden to listen-in. Members of a select Italian group who listened in expressed the opinion that the speech would probably be published in. the press with editorial comment.

Alarm in Rome,

There are already indications of alarm in Rome, says a British Official Wireless message. The immediate issue today of a lame retort which in no way constitutes a reply to Mr. Churchill’s vigorous and carefullydocumented indictment of the Duce’s policy is significant. It testifies that in spite of the dire penalty imposed for listening to foreign broadcasts, Mr. Churchill’s speech did, in fact, have , a wide audience in Italy, and that the authorities are concerned at the disturbing effect it may have on the public, from whom a statement on the real condition in which Italy finds herself has been, withheld. Sanctions Recalled.

In his retort to Mr. Churchill, which was broadcast by Signor Ansaldo, Mussolini spoke of Britain's initiative in 1935 in organising sanctions against Italy, “who was engaged in securing a small space in the African sun without the slightest injury to Britain’s interests.”

Mussolini also reminded Mr. Churchill of the servitude in which Italy “finds herself in her own sea.”

He added that if Britain went to war against Germany to honour her signature, the same respect for engagements under the Italo-German treaty guided Italian policy, “today and tomorrow, in the face of any event.” “Insult to Intelligence.”

The Rome radio said: “Churchill’s appeal is an insult to the intelligence, honour, chivalry, memory and common sense of the Italian people. “Churchill wants us to side King Victor Emmanuel against Mussolini, but there are no differences between the King and the Duce.” Official quarters in Berlin refuse to comment on Mr. Churchill’s speech, and stated that it was unlikely there would be any official cognisance of it. A message from Washington says a member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Sol Bloom, said Mr. Churchill’s speech was a last appeal to the Italians before the Nazis penetrated Italy.