ITALY’S DEFEATS IN AFRICA

Southland Times, Issue 24369, 25 February 1941, Page 5

ITALY’S DEFEATS IN AFRICA

AID FROM GERMANY EXPECTED “IMPORTANT ROLE” AS AXIS PARTNER (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) LONDON, February 23. An admission 4hat the course of the war was unfevourable to Italy, was made by Signor Mussolini in a speech at a Fascist rally in Rome. The troops in Africa were fighting without hope of reinforcement, he said.

Most of Mussolini’s speech was devoted to the help which he hoped to get from Germany. He excused Italy’s defeat by saying, that, as Germany’s partner, she was playing a great role in keeping engaged on various fronts 2,000,000 troops and all their vast equipment. He offered Italy no hope that the Italians might improve their position by their own efforts and the only note of comfort in his speech was his reference to possible German aid. He added, however, that it was ridiculous to expect any further weakening of Italy. “This will never occur. The real Italian fighters, the workers, must not be misled by a few anti-social persons complaining about rations. The United States has formidable industries, but America’s aid must reach England and must also surpass Germany’s production if it is to be effective. This is impossible. , The British armies must invade the Continent to conquer the Axis. No Briton would ever dream of such a step.” Mussolini went to great lengths to prove that careful preparations had been made for the war in Libya “which was always considered most important strategically.” He said that more than 14,000 officers and 356,000 men had been sent to Libya equipped with 1900 guns of all calibres and of the most recent types, 15,300 machine-guns, 11,000,000 artillery shells, a billion rounds of ammunition for automatic weapons, 24,000 tons of clothing and 759 armoured cars. “WILL FIGHT TO THE LAST” Mussolini said that Italy would fight to the last drop of blood against England. He admitted that one-tenth of the Italian Army had been destroyed, and also one-fifth of the Air Force. “I come to look you firmly in the eye, and to break my silence by saying that we will fight to tire last. We would have entered the war in September 1939 if we had been prepared but, after fighting Ethiopia, we received an appeal from Spain which we could not deny. We would have preferred the war delayed to build up material, but history takes one by the throat and forces a decision. It is our fate.

“We had the most difficult fronts on all seas and in the African desert. The British attack in Africa preceded the one we had planned for five to 10 days later. The British thus reached Benghazi. The British claim that they lost only 2000 men in Libya. It is a lie. They must have lost 20,000. These months which exasperate our will must intensify our hate for the enemy, which is indispensable to victory. We will probably have to fight a long time, but the Axis will win—Britain cannot. Italy and Germany will march shoulder to shoulder to the end. Italy has an army of 2,000,000 and, if necessary, 4,000,000. American aid for Britain cannot compensate for all the losses inflicted by the Luftwaffe.” “Britain will soon be aware of ItalianGerman co-operation in the Mediterranean,” he continued. “New successes will come to us at all four cardinal points. African territory will be retaken without difficulty when we want it. There are days of fierce fighting ahead on all battle-fronts. Talk of separate peace is idiotic. The war will end when Britain is defeated unless the Dominions wish to continue at the risk of losing their independence. Neither Italy nor Germany intends to attack the United States.”