AT SIXES AND SEVENS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 10 December 1940, Page 4

AT SIXES AND SEVENS

MUSSOLINI and his High Command have fallen out. The result is a whole crop of military and naval resignations. Marshal Badoglio, by far the most trusted soldier in Italy, and Chief of the General Staff, has withdrawn. It is also learned, on good authority, that Marshal Graziani, commander of the Italian forces in Africa, asked to be relieved of his command some days ago, but that his resignation was rejected. Then two Italian generals, members of the Italian Armistice Commission, were killed when their plane crashed on the way from Turin to Rome. Admiral Domenico Cavagnari, Chief, of the Naval Staff, has resigned, while Count de Vecchi has given up, at his own request, the Governorship of the Dodecanese Islands. The general explanation of all this is the Italian failure in the Greek campaign. Apparently Mussolini himself and one of his Fascist advisers blamed the military and naval men for their defeats, while they in turn blamed the politicians for the ill-conceived and ill-timed ultimatum to Greece. So there has been a spate of mutual criticism. But it is strongly suggested that there is a more particular reason for Marshal Badoglio’s withdrawal: the threat to the independent control of the Italian army if Germany offers help in Albania.

So Mussolini’s war organisation is all at sixes and sevens, not only in Albania and in Egypt, but also at home. What may arise out of it is Nazi domination, if there is to be any collaboration between Germany and Italy in the Balkans. Mussolini has filled the positions with other men who do not appear to have much chance of doing any better than those replaced. The Italian Dictator has made a false move and is now trying to blame his. subordinates for it. With the constant pressure on Italy being sustained, all that Mussolini can hope for is to limp along the road to defeat at the heels of his Axis part-