The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1940-12-06

T.
worse than they do his Axis part
ner, but they don't despise him as
they do the latter.
1t was the otheF way about when
the Nazis were just getting or
ganized. rhe Fascists. at that
stage of the game. already had
gained considerable momentum
with their program. Mussolini
wasn't liked from here, but he was
regarded as man of a good deal
Of bad sort Of ability He took
Italy In hand when it was in a con-
dition of complete chaos and die
tated il into pretty fair order. AT
the time he and Hitler met initial
". the Fuehrer was a mere untried
upstart in comparison with the.
Duce.
When II Duce Led
In the. matters OF personal ap-
pearance and manner. too. the ad-
vantage was with Benito Prior To
his recent defation the Duce was
no Joke TO look at Physically he
was adequately dignified He also
could make an affective speech, and
could yet, If il hadn't been discov-
cred that it's pure bombast.
With his Charlie Chaplin mus
tache, Adolf, in a vicious fashion,
always has looked simply funny.
His oratory is unqualified yowlIng,
as everybody's aware who ever
heard him via radio.
So when the pair frst got to-
gether the general impression was
that Adolfs whole idea was to
take lessons. Maybe. then. Benito
thought so likewise.
But by the time Adolf took the
warpath he was, individually. fully
as big a man as Benito. Indeed,
he was a lot bigger, Germany be-
ing 50 much more formidable tail
for him to wag than Benito's Italy.
However. while the Fasciss
stayed on the fence, the difference
wasn't so noticeable. Presently,
though, Benito realized that he'd
got to get into the muss actively,
in order to qualify himself for his
share of the plumber. assuming an
Axis victory. France being on the
ropes, he picked a hrst-class juno
ture to DO it. He didn't have any
thing 10 do with the Paris govern
ments capitulation. but nominaily
he had a hand in IL.
Stalled in Africa
To make good, he had to keep
up his part, and accordingly
launched his North African cam
paign. He's stalled there today
Hence that's an Italian fizzle.
To make sure of some place he
certainly could conquer he jumped
on little Greece. All the worlds
military authorities agreed that
that poor little pewee would be easy
picking for him. And 10 and be-
hold he can't even lick the
Creeks
AS he said the other day, he'll
break their backs yet. And neu-
tral observers regretfully admit
that they think the Greek back
ultimately will be broken-but not
by italy. The dope is that Ger
manyl have to lend hand in ef-
fecting the fracture. 1t ought to
be Notifying to Italians to have
to have help to overrun so small
a country as Greece.
There are critics who contend
that the Italians themselves are
very capable scrappers. The crit
les version is that the Italian rank
and file didn't want TO get into this
war and that they're reneging on
Benito.
Tough-Either Way
Perhaps It's true. II so. t'n be
hard on Benito.
Suppose the British win the war.
It's foregone conclusion that not
much will be left Of Signor Mus
solini
Suppose Germany WINS. How
much will Herr Hitler give him for
the less than trihing assistance the
Fascists have been to the Nazis-
so little assistance that the Nazis
bova bod - balr fba Lsaacfefeo