HITLER DISLIKED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 October 1938, Page 7

HITLER DISLIKED

ATTITUDE OF ITALIAN PEOPLE. VISITOR’S OBSERVATIONS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, October 7. . “There is no doubt the Italian people stand behind Signor Mussolini, but on the other hand the reception which he gave to Herr Hitler was not popular,” declared the Rev Dr J. Kelly, Wellington, former editor of the “New Zealand Tablet,” who returned by the Mataroa after visiting Rome and attending the International Eucharistic Congress held in Budapest last May. He explained that there was no love for Hitler, more particularly as Italy was a Roman Catholic country. The prosperity of Italy was marked, Dr Kelly said. Everyone was working, and in the fields it seemed that not a square yard was left untilled. The character of the people had improved and, with the exception of Naples, there had been marked changes in Italian cities. Dr Kelly said the attitude of the army toward the dictatorship regime had been expressed by one of the officers, who had informed him that the army was loyal to Mussolini so long as Mussolini was loyal to the King. The Duce realised that if a crisis arose the army would follow the King rather than a dictator. “Signor Mussolini is not an absolute dictator,” Dr Kelly added. “On the one hand he has the army, and on the other the Vatican.” Travelling widely throughout Europe, Dr Kelly visited France, Czechoslovakia, Italy, Belgium, Holland, England and Ireland. While in Rome h'e heard the Pope speak for about 20 minutes, and he mentioned that his Holiness was now carrying on his ordinary duties after his illness.