Today is Italian Empire Day, the date of the official inauguration of the formal Italian rule of Abyssinia. That rule no longer exists. Nor does that empire. On this day the world can be reminded of the significance of the declara tion made by the Rome government when i took over its slice of former Yugoslavia, that the area was to be incorporated into the dom" of Italy, not the "empire." Though at that time the Italians 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 realism left among the Fascists to enable them to realize that it would be idle for them to claim control of an empire which was being fought for between' the Germans and the British, with the Italians themselves playing a minor role as supporters of the Germans. Today the fate of Libya can be regarded as in the balance. Ethiopia, Italian Somaliland, and Eritrea have been lost. W ther they will ever be regained by the Italians depends not so much upon the efforts put forth by Mussolini'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. It is, therefore, likely that the celebrations of today's anniversary will be observed only in a minor key. It is more than likely 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 statements of both gentlemen have, however, for so long been tainted with falsehood that it will be doubtful whether even the Italian people will believe them. As for the Germans, who have been seriously embarrassed by the unexpected inefficiency of their partner in the Axis, they will doubtless receive the claims with the scorn that they deserve. The record of the so-called Italian empire is a grim one What did Mussolini, the self-styled "Protector of Islam" do to the natives of Libya, all good Mohammedans? The story of the Italian rule in that province is one of the utmost cruelty and oppression. None of the improvements which Italy designed in that colony was planned for the benefit of the natives. Instead, these tives were forcibly removed from their holdings, so that these holdings could be made available for unwilling colonists from Italy itself. The slightest sign of opposition was visited with the most condign punishment. The result was that a fear and hai red of the Italians was sown throughout that part of the. Moslem world, which only liberal bri e most venal elements could conceal. The spontaneous rise of an Abyssinian "patriot" movement on the Bri-to the hatred felt there against Italia rule. The Italian use of mustard and of gases og the comparatively unarmed atrocious slaying of between thousand Abyssinians by i revenge for an attempt at bombing of his headquarters, are not forgotten. Let Italians today sing the praises of their empire, but let them sing with the remembrance that they have to thank a man, Hitler, who is dreaming of a 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 h diosely named.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.