Evening star., 1939-02-25

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Africa.
BY the Associated Press
PARIS, Feb. 25.-Italian citizens
living in France were leaving for
their homeland today in a mass
exodus under Premier Mussolini's S
repatriation order for Italians abroad.
An Italian Embassy spokesman
said the exodus was "only be-
ginning"
Italian officials said several hum
dred Italians were leaving Paris
aboard special trains in the after
noon. while nearly 5000" were
returning to their native land from
Marseille, Bordeaux and other
cities.
Although the movement officially
was in response to the repatriation
order under which Italians in all
lands were being called home. it
was viewed in many quarters as
direct slap at France.
Italian Reason Accepted.
Officially. the French government
accepted Rome's official reason that
the repatriation followed the Fascist
plan to get most of the Italians
living abroad back to work in Italy.
Despite this reason, the occur
renee of the repatriation at a cru
cial moment in French re-
lations was viewed by responsible
quarters as due to one of two
things:
l. Either Italy feared war with
France might come soon or.
2. Italy wanted ito frighten' the
French into believing she was pre-
pairing to back up colonial demands
on France with action.
Today's repatriation movement
followed by day a disclosure that
Italian residents of Corsica. French
island department near the italian
mainland. were returning home
The Italian Embassy estimated the
number to leave Corsica on Monday
at about 1000.
1taly estimates the number of
Italians living abroad at 10000
600, a figure which ignores natu-
ralizations and includes children.
According to this figure there are
$4,000 in France. 3.749 900 in the
United States. 1887 900 in Brazil
and 100000 in Argentina)
Italian flags were set up in stand
ards In the Lyon Station in Paris
as the assembly point for the Ital-
ians leaving today aboard special
trains. The trains were due to leave
at Sis pm. Q2:15 pm. E. S. t..
5000 Figure Discounted.
Despite the Italian Embassy esti-
mate that nearly 3,00O' Italians
were leaving French provincial
cities. reports from the provinces
indicated that. counting also those
leaving Paris. little more than $500
persons would leave continental
France today. At Marseille, 100
Italians boarded the first special
train which left at noon.
Diplomatic sources in Paris
pointed out that the decision to re-
patriate Italian nationals from
France at this time dovetailed into
the Fascist anti-French campaign.
The French failed to show any
indication of following the example,
however. by calling their nationals
to come home from Italy.
The Italian government last No.
vember II created a commission to
promote repatriation of Italians liv-
ing abroad.
On December II it backed up its
repatriation plan with an appro-
priation of 100000 lire (S526 OOO)
The commission was proceeding
carefully, however, in order to avoid
Cutting the labor market at home.
An analysis of the repatriation
plan from Rome said the scheme,
like the Fascist campaign for more
babies and the law against further
emigration, naturally was expected
to make Italy's population denser.
This in turn would give greater
strength to Mussolini's argument for
Italy's necessity for territorial ex-
pansion-and give him more man.
power to call upon if war was con-
Sidered necessary to achieve the ex-
pansion.