VICTORY BOASTS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21816, 20 November 1940, Page 7

VICTORY BOASTS

Axis Peace Is Promised Il Duce’s Speech To Uneasy Italy United Press Association—By Electrio Telegraph—Copyright ROME, November 18. Mussolini, speaking from the balcony of the Palazzo Venezia, told 20,000 Italians: “It must not be forgotten that Britain is exclusively responsible for the war, which could have been avoided if Britain, aided by France, had not attempted to encircle Germany. “The initiative came from London and was followed a few hours later from Paris. The peace will be an Axis peace. England will not avoid her catastrophe.” Mussolini declared that with the new mass production of aircraft Italy would soon have parity, if not superiority, over the other belligerents. “I asked for and obtained the permission of the Fuhrer to take an active part in the battle against Britain with aeroplanes and submarines," continued Il Duce. “Germany does not need these reinforcements. According to papers seized in France, Greece offered Britain the use of naval bases last May. We have all the material necessary to overcome Greek resistance. The 272 Italian dead, 1081 wounded, and 650 missing on the Epirus front will be avenged. “A bloc of 150,000,000 resolute, implacable men will bring victory,” concluded Mussolini. Slack Fascists Referring to France, Mussolini said: “It is already clear that the Axis does not desire the peace of revenge or rancour. It is also true that certain claims and demands must be satisfied. Italy’s demands must be accepted without compromise and without a temporary solution. It will be possible only after a complete clarification of the situation within the orbit of the new Europe to begin a new chapter in the troubled history of Italian and French relations.’’ Mussolini made special reference to the Fascist Party, which, he said, must intensify its activity amongst the masses. “There has been a certain slackening in activities since the outbreak of war, due to many of the leaders going to the front,’’ he declared. “This is not now the case. There will not be a general mobilisation. We have 1,000,000 men under arms, but in case of necessity we could call up 8.000,000. The"party must free itself and the nation from any small bourgeois ideas. It must maintain and accentuate the atmosphere of the hard times and move nearer the people than previously to protect their moral health and material existence. A-cer-tain kind of pacifism of an intellectual and universal tint must be closely watched and fought. Nothing must exist outside the supreme goal. That is why we are armed.” Acts of Italian Valour Mussolini described the destruction of the French army as without precedent in proportion and unbelievable in rapidity. Italy had entered the war to carry out her alliance and break the chains binding the seas. The armed forces of Italy’s African empire which, according to forecast, the enemy should have broken up, had instead taken the initiative. It was the Italians who had attacked in Libya. The swift occupation of Sidi Barrani must not be considered as the conclusion, but merely the prologue to the offensive. “The acts of valour of Italian soldiers on all fronts make the nation proud,” said the Duce. “The Italian navy is protecting the lines of communications in the Mediterranean and Adriatic in such an efficient manner that the enemy’s navy is unable to Interrupt or hamper them. The Italian Air Force dominates the skies. Four times as many Italian planes are now coming from Italian workshops as before the war.” Mussolini paid a tribute to the discipline and strength of the Italian people, who knew that this decisive war must fought to the conclusion and end in the annihilation of modem Carthage. He described the Italian war bulletins as a perfect mirror of truth. Only one ship had been seriously damaged at Taranto, but its reconditioning would take a long time. The other two could, and would be, swiftly restored to their former efficiency. It was false that two other warships and two auxiliary ships had been sunk, hit or damaged. Mr Churchill might have completed his picture by telling the Commons of the fate suffered by British units torpedoed recently in the Central Mediterranean and at Alexandria. “Our navy, air force and submarines are repeatedly giving the British navy, in its hide-out at Alexandria, a taste of our arms,” said Mussolini, who then glowingly referred to Hitler as “an army commander who had been confirmed by victory in his genius-like conception of strategy which in some quarters may even have been regarded as too audacious or daring, and also revolutionary, and who awakened his people and made them protagonists of world revolution similar to Fascism.” Could Have Saved Peace Mussolini described the imposition of sanctions as the first and last attempt of the Old World influenced by superannuated ideas of the League of Nations, against the new European forces represented by Italy and Germany. Even after sanctions peace could still have been preserved if Britain had not with th supine complacence of France initiated her policy of encirclement instead of the constructive revision of treaties. This policy was not made with the object of returning Danzig for Poland but of destroying the political and military power of Germany. Peace could have been saved even in the last hours of August, 1939, if England under pressure from the Polish Ambassador had not stood out for one absolutely unacceptable condition to the conference proposed by Italy—that German troops already moving should not only be halted but actually sent back to their starting place. Referring to Greece, Mussolini said he did not think it worth while to deny re >orts of Greek victories rumoured abroad General Soddu visited the alpine division which was supposed o have been destroyed and telegraphed that it was in fine condition. “With absolute certainty we will break Greece's back in two months or 12 months, it does not matter which. We have . _• means to break the Greek resistance and British help will not prevent a Greek catastrophe. Those who think otherwise do not know me. >nce I have taken a decision not to weaken, whatever happens I will prove that.” Mussolini confessed that the mountains at Epirus and the muddy valleys had not lent themselves to lightning warfare and added that no act of his had led anyone to believe otherwise.