ROME TO BE BOMBED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 26 June 1943, Page 5

ROME TO BE BOMBED

UNLESS DECLARED AN OPEN CITY LONDON JOURNAL’S COMMENT London, June 24. “Rome will be bombed unless it is declared on open city. We welcome this declaration of the R.A.F. policy,” says the “Evening Standard.” “All we ask now is that the threat having been made it will be carried out effectively and in good time. Rome is the nervecentre of the Fascist regime, and the bastion of Fascist morale. It boasts great industrial plants and a network of communications vital to the Italian war effort. From Rome Mussolini directed Italian airmen to join the Luftwaffe raining death on London. The time to reveal our power is now. We seek no reprisal for the destruction here of 600 churches. We seek no revenge against vandalism which blasted irreplacable treasures of some of our loveliest cathedrals and many of our oldest churches to the dust, but we have allowed too long a tender regard for historic monuments of a cradle of civilisation to dictate our policy in prosecuting the war against the Fascist homeland. We have the opportunity to force from Mussolini a final word on the fate of Rome—a word which will symbolise capitulation.” ARCHBISHOP’S REPLY TO LETTERS The Archbishop of York, Dr. Garbett, revealing in the York “Diocesan Leaflet” that he is receiving letters protesting against Allied bombing of Axis towns wrote in reply: “Real justification for continuing bombing is that it will shorten war and may save thousands of lives. Those who demand cessation of all bombing are advocating a policy which will condemn many more of our soldiers to death and postpone the hour of liberation which alone will save from massacre and torture those who are now in the Nazi’s power. We must continue to use our superiority in the air, however much we deplore the sufferings of civilians and the destruction of homes and beautiful buildings.”—P.A.