IMMEDIATE PEACE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25306, 17 August 1943, Page 3

IMMEDIATE PEACE

ITALIAN PEOPLE'S DEMAND DEMONSTRATIONS CONTINUE LONDON, Aug. 15. Mobs again surged through the cities of Northern Italy to-day, demanding immediate peace, says the British United Press correspondent on the Italian frontier. Demonstrations started early in the morning at Milan. Crowds also took possession of the streets of Genoa and Turin, shouting for peace. Swarms of soldiers made arrests, but this did not affect the crowds. Rome is still in a state of excitement and the Vatican radio reported that after the noon Mass at St. Peter’s enormous crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square. The Pope reappeared at a window overlooking the square, and several times blessed the people. The Exchange Telegraph correspondent on the Swiss frontier says that the big Italian papers are now openly demanding peace. The Giornale d’ltalia says: “ We demand freedom and peace, and nothing else. Let the Germans stew in their own juice. The Italian people do not want to hear any more of war. Make this clear to the Germans and the Anglo-Saxons.” Algiers radio broadcast a report, attributed to a Berlin source, that the Badoglio Government had left Rome. The Rome Declaration The decision of the Italian Government to declare Rome an open city may mean that-the Italians no longer intend to defend southern Italy. The whole Axis campaign in the south will be ham-strung if Rome cannot be used as the main communication centre between Germany and Italy’s industrial areas in the north and southern war areas. A message from Madrid states that Germany is pfenning to establish a Fascist Government in Italy north of the Po River. It is understood that nothing has been received in London so far from the Italian Government communicating its decision to declare Rome an open city, says Reuter’s diplomatic correspondent. Badoglio’s decision does not modify the status quo. Rome in any case will remain a military objective until Britain and America decide on what conditions, if any, it could be admitted as an open city, and are satisfied that the fulfilment of those conditions can and will be guaranteed.

While the Rome radio to-day warned Italians that the Badoglio Government’s decision could not be effective without Allied agreement, the Paris radio reported that the Italian Government had already made the necessary preparations for the evacuation of military offices from Rome. The Rome radio broadcast emphasised that the Allies must be allowed to ascertain that the measures to render Rome an open city were carried out according to international law, after which a bilateral open-city declaration would be issued, and all bombing attacks would be prohibited. X Effect on Strategy

If the Allies recognise Rome as an open city it may lead to the reorganisation of Allied strategy for the battle of Italy. The Observer’s diplomatic correspondent says the effect of Rome being made an open city would be to handicap seriously the defence of southern Italy. In some quarters it is considered equivalent to notification from the Italians that they are ready to abandon the south so far as military operations are concerned. German troops fleeing from Sicily will undoubtedly have the greatest difficulty in joining their forces in the north.