BADOGLIO'S EXIT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 9 December 1940, Page 5

BADOGLIO'S EXIT

ACUTE UNREST EVIDENT IN ITALY Mussolini's Prestige Bound up With Greek War CONFESSION OF FAILURE IF GERMAN HELP ACCEPTED

f United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright] (Received 9th December, 9.5 a.m.) LONDON, Bth December. “The Times” says that there is no reason to doubt that Marshal Badoglio considered he could no longer hold his position as Chief of the General Staff. A Rome report states that Mussolini had many stormy meetings with the High Command and sharply criticised the whole of the general staff and blamed them for the defeats; while the generals blamed the politicians for the ill-conceived and ill-timed ultimatum. The loss of Marshal Badoglio, says “The Times,” is bound to bewilder if not depress the Italian people who held him in high respect. Mussolini’s prestige is now more than ever bound up with the Greek war and it would be a confession of abject failure to accept German help at this stage. INTERNAL DISTURBANCES BREAK OUT The Athens correspondent of the International News Agency (New York) reports that serious internal disturbances, bordering on revolt, have broken out at Milan, Florence and Trieste. A number of persons are reported to have been killed and injured at Trieste, where there were clashes on a large scale between Blackshirts and crowds protesting at the war against Greece. At Milan and Florence the disturbances followed Marshal Badoglio s resignation, which has deeply shocked the Italians, many of whom feel that Signor Mussolini’s policies are leading Italy to major disasters. A message from Rome states that General Uga Cavallero, who replaces Marshal Badoglio as Chief of the Italian General Staff, is expected to confer with the Chief of the German Armed Forces, General von Keitel, soon, and also to make an* inspection trip to Albania. It is officially stated in Rome that Count de Vecchi has resigned at his own request the governorship of the Dodecanese Islands, and that he is succeeded by General Ettore Bastico. The reports published in Zurich, Switzerland, of the Badoglio sensation include a statement that 40 members of his staff resigned with him. Well-informed circles in Rome are quoted as saying that further important changes in the General Staff are N expected. ITALIAN FORCES UNDER GERMAN CONTROL ? Reuter’s correspondent on the Italian frontier says that some political observers connect Badoglio’s resignation with rumours that Germany is willing to help Italy in Albania only if the Italian forces are placed under German control. It is believed Marshal Badoglio wished to maintain the independent command.

Count de Vecchi was one of Signor Mussolini’s principal lieutenants in the Fascist revolution, and has been described as one of the most pugnacious figures thrown up by Fascism. He was seriously injured in an encounter with Communists in 1921, when he fought in the streets during the early days of Fascism. His successor in the Dodecanese command, General Bastico, participated in the 1914-18 war. He commanded a Blackshirt division in Abyssinia and had a high position with the Italian “v olunteers” in Spain. NATION’S PROTEST The London “Daily Telegraph’s” correspondent on the Greek southern front asked an Italian officer prisoner of war his opinion about the resignation of Marshal Badoglio, The officer replied: “It was only to be expected. Our defeat is due to the megalomania of Mussolini, who, taking a stand on the principles of fascism, exerted pressure on Badoglio to agree to the campaign in Greece. “The military authorities opposed the idea because it was fraught with difficulties, even if it would not be disastrous, but the Duce wanted a success of some sort to impress Italy,” he continued. “Our defeat in Albania means a protest by the Italian people and army against Fascism. The destroyer of our country hopes to save his own face by throwing the blame on the grand patriot Badoglio.” In the London Press the capture of Sarande and the advance of the Greek army to the north of the town are contrasted as showing the united effort and high morale of the Greek nation against the undoubted bewilderment of the Italian people at the resignation of Marshal Badogolio, which is taken here as a tacit admission that the Greek claims are most likely to err on the side of understatement than of exaggeration. It is generally felt that the loss to Italy of one of her most able commanders, who was largely responsible for the success in Abyssinia, must have a depressing effect on the people, who have not been too anxious for a war of any kind, and will bring to them a realisation that the Fascist political policy has plunged Italy into the Greek conflict without proper strategic preparation. TURKEY’S ATTITUDE A message from Ankara states that the resignation of Marshal Badoglio sent a knowing chuckle through official Turkish quarters, gave a fresh impulse to Turkey’s determination to stick to her British alliance, give Greece moral and economic support and fight if the Germans attempt to aid the Italians by marching through Bulgaria. “REMEMBER BALBO” * shrewd observer here grves the following warning to Marshal Badoglio himself: “Remembering the untimely end of Marshal Balbo, whose views on international policy had some resemblance to his own, he would certainly do well to avoid going up in aeroplanes.” General Cavallero, who replaces Marshal Badoglio in Albania, was for some years chairman of the great Ansaldo armament works, and has the reputation of being closely identified with Signor Mussolini’s decisions. His field of experience has been confined to the war of Libyan conquest in 1912-14. His present task is seen in military circles in London as that of co-ordinat-ing defence. General Cavallero was formerly Commander-in-Chief in Italian East Africa, and was Secretary of State for war from 1925 to 1928, and from 1929 to 1933 he was president of the Ansaldo armaments firms. He received Italy’s highest military decoration, the Order of Savoy, for his reorganising of the Italian defences after the inglorious debacle at Caporetto. So far there has been no official explanation from Rome of the resignation of Marshal Badoglio beyond the statement that it was done at his own request. There is, however, an attempt Such of the cable news to this issue as is so headed has appeared in “The Times” and is sent to this paper by special permission. It should be understood that the opinions are not those ol “The Times” artless expressly stated to so

to suggest that his age is one of the facts in the change. It is pointed out that he is in his sixty-ninth year, and that his successor, General- Cavallero, is 61.

ANOTHER RESIGNATION

CHIEF OF ITALIAN NAVAL STAFF (Received 9th December, 11.10 a.m.) ROME, Bth December. Admiral Domenico Cavagnari, Chief of Italian Naval Staff, has resigned. Admiral Arturo Ricacrdi has been appointed Under-Secretary for the Navy and also Chief of Naval Staff. Admiral Inigo Campioni has been appointed Vice-Chief of Naval Staff and Admiral Angelo Jachino is to be Commander of the Fleet at Sea. Mussolini has written a letter to Admiral Cavagnari thanking him for his seven years’ service.