“ITALY IS NOT NEUTRAL”

Southland Times, Issue 24115, 2 May 1940, Page 7

“ITALY IS NOT NEUTRAL”

STATEMENT BY ROME NEWSPAPER

REPLY TO AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER

(United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) ROME, April 30.

The Giornale d’ltalia, in condemning the references of the Australian Prime Minister (Mr R. G. Menzies) to Italy as a neutral, says that Mr Menzies must bring his ideas up to date. “Italy is not neutral,” it says. “She is allied to Germany. She has her own interests to defend and is reconstructed and organized to defend them vigorously. Italy is determined to fight for her liberty in the Mediterranean.” A call to Italy to reach a better understanding with Britain was made by Mr Menzies on the occasion of the opening of a new broadcasting service from the Commonwealth to Italy. “In common with all the members of the British Empire,” Mr Menzies said, “Australia is determined to make a stand against aggression, and I am fully confident that the things we are fighting for are of such importance to you that we shall have your sympathy in our struggles.” The phenomenal increase in the popularity of the newspaper Osservatore Romano, the Vatican organ, as a result of its impartiality in war news presentation, resulted in Signor Farinacci’s publication Regime Fascista asking whether the time has not come to suppress this paper—the servant of Italy’s enemies and the obvious Spokesman of the Jews.

The Osservatore Romano’s circulation has increased from 9000 to 200,000 since the outbreak of the war and is now the largest in Italy. The Vittorio Veneto, the first of the four new 35,000-ton Italian battleships, has been put into active service. Her sister ship, the Littorio, is expected to be in service soon.