Evening star., 1940-04-20
Will Italy March?


There are various indications that
Italy is toying with the possi-
bllity OF entering the war in full
fillment OF her axis obligations to
Germany. Mussolini's martial emo
tions clearly have been stirred by
Hitler's blitzkrieg in Denmark and
Norway. Neutral observers in Rome
now report as "a truly enormous de-
velopment of the past ten days" that
there is now "a prospect of Italys
going to War"-a statement, it is ad-
mitted, which would have been in
credible a few weeks ago, but is no
longer an eXaggeration.
From commencement of Anglo
Franco-German hostilities, it has
been charged periodically that II
Duce would maintain his proclaimed
status as mon -belligerent" only as
long as he remained in doubt as to
the winning side. Should the tide
turn in Germanys favor, it was and
is believed, Italy would enter the
conflict; otherwise she would remain
neutral. Mussolini's detractorS even
suggested that the Fascists covertly
have bargained with both sides, for
the purpose of discovering where the
better deal for Italy is obtainable.
Corroborative evidence on this
score is, of course, lacking. One
knows only of Italian longings for
more elbow room in the Mediterra-
mean, the Near East and Northern
Africa, and of Rome's realization that
Britain and France stand squarely
opposed to these ambitions. Nor is
Rome any less conscious that if Ger
many defeats the allies, Hitler will be
in position to make Italian dreams
at the Suez and Jibuti, and in Cor
slca and Tunisia come true.
The world has never learned either
the cause or the result of Hitler's re-
cent meeting with Mussolini at the
Brenner Pass. That der Fuehrer's
purpose was to draft 1taly's help at
Germany's critical hour-to assure
eventual Fascist military support if
and when the fortunes of war dictate
its desirability-can hardly be ques-
toned
Some telltale official light on this
score has just been cast in Rome. A
government communique of unmis-
taxable Mussolinian inspiration, ad-
mitS and emphasizes that Nazi mill
tary missions have arrived in Italy.
They are composed of army and
technical experts, whose acknowl-
edged purpose lis part of a general
program under way since 1898, the
scope of which is to maintain con-
slant contacts between the armed
forces of the two countries" It was
in 1888 that the Berlin-Rome axis
was converted into an outright mill
tary alliance, with the acquisition of
living space" for both countries as
its underlying objective.
The outcome of the fighting in
Scandinavia may determine future
Italian policy. If Mussolini thinks
the going is good for Germany, he
may decide that Italys hour has
struck. With the Nazis justifying in
vasion of Denmark and Norway as
measure of protection" for those
countries, and Japan talking about
the possible necessity of having
to protect" the Dutch East Indies,
rumors come from Rome that the
Italians suddenly may conceive the
necessity of taking Yugoslavia under
their protective" wing.
1t may be sheer coincidence that
the Belgrade government has chosen
this moment to arrest and place un-
der heavy guard the former premier
and foreign minister of Yugoslavia,
Milan Stoyadinovitch, who is charged
with completely in a conspiracy to
promote Nazi invasion. Stoyadino-
witch was known as a partisan of
Italy and Germany. Many persons
have talked of him as puppet ruler
at Belgrade, should Yugoslavia ever
be swallowed by the axis. His affairs
came under scrutiny because of indi-
cations that he has been working in
secret with Italian and German
agents.
Should Mussolini satisfy himself
that the Nazis are plotting by treach-
cry in Yugoslavia, as in Norway, to
seize control of 1taly's trans -Adriatic
neighbor, II Duce may conclude that
Fascist interests demand immedi-
ate action to prevent German foot
hold in the Balkans. He could not
look with equanimity upon Hitler's
stealing march on Italy in her own
particular corner of Europe.
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