Even the defense of our frontier is insufficient. He has made thirty-two inspctions and is convinced that the French can go through it with great ease. The officers of the Italian Army are not qualified for the job, and our equipment is old and obsolete. Only from 1943 onward will an effort by war have the greatest prospects of success. For all these reasons Italy does not wish to hasten a European war, although she is convinced of the inevitability of such a war.
War is to man what maternity is to woman.
Mussolini is quite humiliated because our troops have not moved a step forward. Even today they have not succeeded in advancing and have halted in front of the first French fortification which put up some resistance. My dear Duce, it's no longer any good. For five hours I am forced to listen to a monologue which is quite fruitless and boring. For this war there is one means - popular insurrection.