The Wilmington morning star., 1940-06-12
Editorial Comments
From Other Angles
THE VULTURE FLIES OFF Tt
Charlotte Observer)

Italy casts it's lot in with Hitler in pressing
to the utter destruction and annlhllatlon OF the
democracies of Europe.
Thus the vulture flies off the fence as the day
for the kill is believed to have arrived.
The decision means that either Hitler sent his
DR.. Hess over to Rome a few days ago to issue
an ultimatum to Mussolini to jump in at this
time or to stay out forever thereafter; or Mus
solini has come to the final conclusion On his
own respon sibility that the cause of the Allies
is hopelessly lost and that, in order to protect
himself with the victor, he must play his hand
with his axis partner.
No matter what the motive. Italy's decision
all but seals the doom Of the democracies in
this contest.
Such is it's clear and implicit design.
1t is obvious that with the valiant French
pressed desperately to the wall in a last-oitch
stand to keep the Nazis from possessing Paris
and, therefore, the whole of France, the partici-
patton of Italy, with it's fine and fresh military
resources, will quickly decide the case for the
French and make the assault upon England
imminent and o~verpowering.
This is the dire and dismaying outlook.
The action of Italy should be accompanied
by no decisions.
So far as the human perception can reach, it
should make what was already a relatively
sure thing doubly certain for the forces that
are out to destroy modern civilization and bring
the world under the damnable philosophy of to-
talitarianism.
This at any rate is the immediate and the
short view to take of the crisis.
What may eventually happen after the de-
mocracies have been destroyed is in the lap of
the gods.
Has the traditional passion of the Italian
people against the Tedesco Germany burned
out or has it merely been smothered by a
trumped-up emotionalism which the Fascist
leaders have managed to arouse?
The clever propaganda of Ciano, Farinacci
and a few other high Fascist dignitaries dur.
ing the past half dozen years has, Of course,
succeeded in yelling that long-established ha-
tired for the Germans, but 1t has, nevertheless,
hardly succeeded in completely hiding it.
Add to this anti.Germanic sentiment which
has been subdued by the coercive measures OF
Mussolini and his little coterie Of fiendish Hit
ler-worshippers the influence Of the Pope and
one wonders how long the Fascist supremacy
which is driving the Italian people to the side
Of the Nazis in this epoch-making decision will
stand up after the triumph has been consum-
mated and time comes for a settlement.
Mussolini's address of commitment of his
country to the shambles of this war rings the
changes. of course, upon "Tunis, Djibutt Nice,
Suez' as he explains away his history-making
decisions by the need of Italy for colonies to &C.
commodate an expanding population, threaded
with a ntempti and lying denunciation of
France and Great Britain for their refusal to
collaborate with him in proposed negotiations to
readjust the map in more sympathetic under.
standing of the Italian problem.
All of this is fabricated to conceal the sinister
reality Of the case of the dictator.
Distrustful of Hitler as Hitler is Of him, Mus.
solini has gone into this war either under the
threat of being blitzkrieged if he stays out or
because of promise from the Fuehrer to take
care of him when the spoils of war are being
divided-a promise which will break all Of Hit
ler's record if it is kept.
Time not far distant may prove that Mussolini
has only steered Italy into a cleverly laid trap
in the steel rings of which that country will be
caught through the Vaccinations Of the same
Quer,