Washington, Dec. 5.
The United States will combat to the last any Italian campaign seeking to raise to the fore the problem of Italian minorities scattered throughout the world, politicians here asserted in answer to several questions today.
Recalling that some—2,000,000 Ttalians entered the US. between the years 1870 and 1930, they stated that the total number of Italians in this country is now much above that figure, Political quarters here are greatly interested and are even perturbed by reports according to which Italian attacks against France might prove the prelude to larger-scale claims involving all Italian minorities, and affecting even Italians now naturalized citizens of other countries.
According to Rome's racial theories, all people having Italian fathers are to be considered as belonging to the Italian nation, it is recalled.
Politicians believe that most of the Italians in the U.S. would be ready to rebel against any attempts made to incorporate them into Italy's political system.
The US. has to date treated kindly all Italians in this country whereas it has energetically combatted German penetration on the American continent. Furthermore, American opinion is now roused against the Reich, it is pointed out.
Such kindly treatment of Italians may have to be changed by the US. Government if the doctrine of world llalianiem is made a new instrument of political and economic expansion. In. that case, the United States would fight against Italian pretentious just as they are now battling German attempts—Havas,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.