Evening star., 1940-12-25
Churchill Address for Italians
Purpose Of Message Obviously Was to Heorten
Forces Expected to Turn Against Mussoni

tiers?" The answer was: Three and
a half"
'And how many Italian divisions
did you have to face?"
Forty"
The German plenipotentiaries are
said to have then exclaimed in a
manner most uncomp1imentary to
their associates. Nothing is more
ludicrous than violent undertaking
which recoils upon it's promoter. The
Duce ought to pay dearly for it.
But to appreciate practical possi-
bilities we must keep in mind:
First, that the Fascist regime will
be defended by several hundred
thousand officials, militiamen and
policemen of all categories who feel
deeply that not only their daily
bread, but their very lives are at
stake. Second, that Nazi Germany
will not tolerate for her own sake
the disintegration and crumbling of
the Fascist structure.
Nazis Occupying Some Spots.
Already it is admitted in Rome
that German military experts"
have arrived in the land. The ex-
preston German military experts is
very modest indeed. Nevertheless,
it reveals that the occupation of
some vital spots in the country by
detachments of the Reichswehr has
begun. Italy is following in the
footsteps of Rumania. Mussolini
had started the Greek war to resist
Adolf Hitler's demand, put forward
after the meeting with Marshal
Henri Philippe Petain, that Italian
claims on the French oversee empire
should be revised.
According to the plan worked out
in Berlin that empire was to be
placed under a German-French-
Italian condominium where of course
Germany would be vested with su-
preme control. Mussolini was re-
quested to toe the line and he re-
belled. Henceforth, not only will
Mussolini be unable to sidetrack the
German program. In addition. he
will have to put up with German
overlordship at home. At such
price, the Fascist regime may be
saved in the long run if everything
goes well for Germany.
No more than France can the
Italian people reasonably hope to re-
cover their independence except by
the means of British victory. Ma
tlonal independence and Fascism
have become conflicting terms.
Neither the army leaders nor King
Victor Emmanuel nor the Pope are
in position to break that iron circle.
The King is well-meaning and in
telllgent man, but exceedingly timid
and more often than not in a mood
of self-effacement and remuneration.
Marshal Foch, who had had to deal
with him after Caporetto, waxed
eloquent on that subject. In the
opinion of reliable observers, it was
up to the leaders of the army. in Sep
tember, 1889, TO carry out coup
d'etat," had Mussolini chosen to
ignore their warning and had he
persisted in his design to go to war
Immediately. Since then many re-
shuff1es in the general staff have in
terfered with their effective au-
thority over the troops, AS to the
Pope, he truly appraises Hitler's
ruthlessness.
That man." he once said. Sin
cerely believes when he prays to
God that he prays to Hitler, the
father a phrase which may be
taken as the compliment of what
his great predecessor Plus XI de-
clared to Neville Chamberlain and
Lord Halifax: The cause of Christ
tian civilization rests mainly upon
the exertions of England"
In the present struggle, the passivi-
ty of the Italian masses can be
taken already as an existing factor
and it is bound to increase as all
illusions are being dispelled about
the position of the country, as the
clash between national independ-
ence and the survival of Fascism