Evening star., 1940-04-26
Doubts Thut ItoIy
Will Fight Allies
Correspondent Holds Thot
ltuIiun Economic Plight
Is Big Factor
70 the Editor of The Star:

70 the Editor Of The Star:
I have been following with great in
terest Mr.. Constantine Browns articles In
the Star and have read with particu-
lar care the one dealing with Italy's
position in your Sunday issue. While
Mr.. Browns explanation of the Italian
position sounds plausible In theory, In
actual practice the situation is en-
tirely different.
In the first place. Greece will not
prove so easy to conquer. Greece will
fight to the last man for her inde-
pendence and freedom, a. she has done
in the past. The Hellenes will certainly
put up real good resistance on land and
on sea. On land they have the noun
tains to help them, and on sea they have
their skill and seafaring ability to help
them, not to mention the British and
French Navies. The Hellenes are used
to this sort of thing-aghting for their
independence and freedom. They have
been doing this for the past 5000 years
and they will do exactly that now, If
necessary.
In the second place, the allies will
come Immediately to the assistance Of
Greece simply because they cannot af-
ford to have any other nation take
control of Greek territory, which is of
paramount Importance to the security of
their Mediterranean possessions.
In the third place, Italy is not ready
to participate in long war against the
allies The economic position of Italy
is more vulnerable than that of Ger
many so far as raw materials and oil
are concerned. While she may have
stored supplies to carry on short war,
the question of securing adequate sup
plies for long war remains unsolved,
so long as England and France control
the Suez Canal and Gibraltar. Should
Italy entertain any hopes that she,
together with Germany, could inflict q
quick knockout of the allies, an attempt
may be undertaken, but the war of the
past seven months and especially the
campaign in Scandinavia proves other
wise
would like to point out that Italy is
not likely to do anything that will give
Germany quick and complete victory
over the allies. Her position, in this
respect, is very similar to that of Russia
Many observers here overlook the fact
that if Germany wins this war; Italy
will be reduced to a German province,
whether Mussolini helps Germany or
not-and Mussolini knows this Italy
has more to lose in the long run from
victorious Germany than from vic
torious England or France.
The position and future of nations are
not determined by the friendship of any
two men. Economic needs determine
national policies and italian and Ger
man interests clash in the Mediterranean
and elsewhere in Europe. 1t is Mussolini
who always feared the Germanic races
more than any other contemporary Ital-
ian statesman, deriving his lesson from
history. The Roman Empire of old was
never left tranquil by the Germanic
races, which were always marrying its
frontiers. And so, today, Italy fears
Germany more than any other European
nation and this simply explains the fact
that while Mussolini pronounces friend
ship for Germany and wishes Hitler we'll
in his war against the allies, he fortified
the Brenner Pass as never before. Is it
hard to understand the reason for this?
April "a. B. C. RODES.