Crawford Building, Tel. 10118 less it would be a thousand pities if the situation were allowed to deteriorate to such a degree. It would indeed be the completest irony if, as a result of this dispute, Italy were found to be going to war to assist the traitor to the Anti-Comintern Pact which has sold itself out to the Soviet, and betrayed the principles for which Signor Mussolini has stood in the past, and for which he just as firmly stands today. Nevertheless the Allies have to make it plain that they intend to carry on this war with Germany with every means at their disposal, and that when ther these particular cargoes are released or not, a period is to be put to German shipments of coal no matter what their destina-lion may be. There may, of course, be factors operating in Italy which wil have the effect of restraining the Italian Government from taking those final stepg which would inevitably mean her outend into the war, for there is all the evidence in the world to show that such a step would be unpopular amongst the Italians who have always regarded the very uneasy friendship with the Reich with distrust and anxiety. That time alone will show, though it is most devoutly to be hoped that statesmanship on both sides will be able to save the situation.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.