Friday was italian Empire Day, the date of the official inauguration of the formal Italian rule of Abyssinia, 'That rule no longer exists, Nor oes that empire. On this day' the world can be reminded of the significance of the declaration made by the Rome government when It took over its slice of former Yugoslavia, that the area was to be incorporated into the "king dom" of Italy, not the "empire." Though at that time the Tlallane had regained their control of Albania through German assistance, and had, along with the German troops and with the help of German tanks, swept back over the territory. in Libya the British had conquered, there was enough vealiom left among the Fas. cists to enable them to realize that it would be idle for them to claim control of an empire which was being fought for betwoon the Germans and the British, with the Italians themselves playing a minor role ax supporters the Germans. Today the fate of Libya can be regarded as in the balance. Ethiopia, Italian Somaliland, and Eritrea have been fast, Whether they will ever be regained by the Italians depends not so much upon the efforts put forth by Mussolint's hordes as upon the success won by the Germans against the British. And this success seems at the present to be more than problematical. 1t is, therefore, likely that the celebrations of Friday's anniversary will be observed only in a minor key, It Is more than Wkely that one or other of those egregious publicists, Signors Gayda or Ansaldo, will come out today with some flamboyant announcement of the triumph of Mussolini's arms, The state. ments of both gentlemen have, however, for 0 long been tainted with falsehood that it will be doubtful whether even the Tallan people will believe them. As for the Germans, who have been seriously embarrassed by the Unexpected inefleiency of their partner in the, Axis, they will doubtless receive the claims' with' the scorn that they deserve, The record of thie so-called Italian empire is a grim one. What did Mussolini, the self-styled "Protector of Islam" do {0 the natives of Libya, all good /Mohammedans? The story of the Italian rule fu that province is one of the utmost cruelty oppression. None of the improvements which Ialy designed in that colony was planned For the benefit of the natives. Instead, those natives were forcibly removed from their hold so that these holdings could be made lo for unwilling colonists from Italy it The slightest sign of opposition was visited with the most condign punishment, The result was that a fear and hatred of the Ttallans was sown throughout that part of the Moslem world, Which only liberal bribery of the most _venal elements could conceal. The spontaneous rise of fu Abyssinian "patriot" movement on the Bi tish invasion of that country to the hatred felt there against Ialian rule. The allan use of mustard and other gases against the comparatively unarmed Ethiopians, the atrocious slaying of between two and' Kix thousand Abyssinians by Marshal Graziani revenge for an attempt at bombing of his head-quartets, are not forgotten. Let Ttalians today sing the' praises of their empire, but let them with the remembrance that they have to thank a man, Hitler, who is dreaming of world empire' for himself, for the temporary preservation of what little has been left: to them Of the territory which Mussolini had grabbed from the defenceless and had so yrandiosely
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.