June 13, Out of the welter of speeches which have heralded the entry of Italy into the war one important fact is noticeable, While Signor Mussolini, in his address from the balcony of the Palazzo Venezia, endeavoured to set up some sort of moral excuse for a completely indefensible act, his first lieutenant, Count. Ciano, comes out with the truth. On Tuesday afternoon he told the French Ambassador Rome that in declaring war upon the Allies, Signor Mussolini was only carrying out the commitments he had undertaken some time ago. This confession shows Italy ranking 8s particeps eriminis with the arch malefactor, and, while Ti Duce endeavours to convince his. people of the righteousness of his cause, his. Foreign Minister frankly tells the truth to the French envoy. That truth was apparent. enough without Count Ciano's confession, for no government by its actions has so clearly' told the world that it has entered on this gamble in the belief that it will be successful, and the hope of being able to share in the swag, It is unlikely that Signor Mussolini will be particularly embarrassed by the aux-pas committed by his subordinate, for with a con~ science dulled by inordinate ambition, which must be served by the disregard of all conceptions of honour, nothing really matters save. victory or defeat. The crime which Signor' Mussolini has committed is not only against the Allies, and the universal conception of. national honour, but also against the people of Italy, against the youth of the nation which has been deluded by visions of military grandeur. The igniis tatuus of a new Roman' empire has been continually held before their. eyes, as something comparatively easy to obtain, and under this illusion thousands of fine young men are to march to their deaths in hopeless sacrifice from which even those who survive will not benefit. Signor Mussolini came to power in Italy when that country was, at the lowest ebb of its fortunes. By excellent, administration it was led back to the paths of prosperity, moderate though it might be, and, was well on the way to much greater heights.
Then, when the future seemed assured, when even Signor Mussolini looked for-[ward to the international trade exhibition, which in 1942 was to mark the resurrection of his country, he demolishes all the good Work he has done by plunging his country into the maelstrom of war. It will emerge from it further weighed down by the heavy Joss.of the wealth which was accumulating! and the economic destruction which the blockade must inevitably bring about. This is all the more horrible, when it is remember ed that he is foreing his country to run at the chariot wheel of Herr Hitler, that the Italian armies can be reckoned as nothing but German reinforcements, and that in return for! services rendered, he has to depend upon the gratitude of Herr Hitler, a man who knows nothing of the word. If, as it is firmly be-Ueved, the Allies emerge from this struggle victorious, no country will have been more grievously betrayed than the Italian. Despite all the flag-waving, and shouting it is well known that the alliance with Germany was popular to large masses of the Italian people, and by them entry into the war as something no better than a German conscript will be regarded with no favour whatever. Telegrams to hand state that the Italian Government are already making preparations ade~ quate for the conduct of a long war which lies ahead. They expect a short war, but realize that their expectations stand every chance of being falsified. Should that prove to be the case, what then? A nation impoverished by a war started on the caprice of an ambitious man, set right back into the appalling conditions from which he rescued Italy nearly two decades ago, will have to pass through the throes of revolution from which it is doubtful whether there ever can arise another man to save it, That view Is supported by Signor Pantaleoni, former head of the Italian Information Service in New York, who bases his findings on the reaction of-the man in the street against Signor Musso-
Italian newspapers in the United States printing an identical leading article written by Signor Generoso Pope, adopt a somewhat similar attitude."
Pope wrote, in order to cooperate with the United States in the necessary task of conciliation on the basis of justice for all. This hope has not been fuldlied, and Italy for the first time is at war on a side with which the American people are not in sympathy." The efforts of President Roosevelt to bring about that conciliation were continued up to the very last hour. With him has been working the Pope. It was to no avail, and while it claimed that no ideological concessions are being made, Italy is drawing closer to Soviet Russia, and' following the same tortuous path which Herr Hitler has trod. Thus with not quite the same facility as that of Der Fuehrer, Signor Mussolini is following the road to Canosa, dallying with the enemy of the church of his people, and all in the wild hope that the Rome-Berlin Axis will share the dominance of the whole world. To speak of Signor Mussolini's action as foolish is to des~ cribo it in the mildest terms. The only reward he can expect with certainty is defeat at the hands of the Allies, while at the very best all hho can expect from a victorious Germany will be to see his country reduced to the position of a satrapy of Berlin, There will be no such thing as an independent Italy should Herr Hitler gain the day, but a country which will bbe just as easily forced to bend to the German will as those other unfortunates for whom it is the intention of the Allies to continue fight= ing until they have been restored to their territorial integrity. It is a paradox, but nevertheless true that they are also fighting for the salvation of a country which has so rashly embarked upon a campaign endeavouring to bulk their efforts. That is the simple truth of the matter, Thus fortified with specious excuses for this great betrayal of his country, for that is what it is no matter how the present war turns out, Signor Mussolini has torn down the excellent work he was doing for Italy and fs leading his country to destruction from which only the Allies can possibly save it, Were they defeated Italy would stand alone against Germany, a most unenviable position from which to seek to insist upon Adequate apportionment of the spoils.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.