The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1940-12-18

hints at the conclusion that the
Fuehrer at least is glad Of what
looks like Benito's finish as the
Fascists' Duce.
The impression h. Washington Is
that Adolf considers his AXIS part
ner a hopeless bungler and wants
10 install new management Of his
own in Rome as speedily as posi-
BILE Presumably It will be nominal
~ an Italian management, but en-
tirely subject to his dictation.
Assuming that this guess is a
good one. it manifestly will be TO
Adolfs advantage to see Benito go
into the discard in a hurry. and the
frantic effort that the latter has
been making lately to put some
ginger into his military. naval and
aviation commands decidedly sug-
gests that he fully realizes how
precarious his position is.
And it's surmised that Adolf fer
vently hopes Benito is right about
Il. II the Duce's overthrown. the
Fuehrer obviously will like to have
the Italians think that they them
selves capsized him. Then he can
squeak into control surreptitiously.
direct the country's policy under
cover and maybe make ii genuinely
helpful to the Nazis without letting
it know that he's doing the manip-
ulating. Contrariwise, II he gives
Benito a conspicuous shove the
italian people will be apt to resent
It as outside interference, making
them less amenable.
Internal Rumbllngs
That, it's supposed. is why
Adolfs choice is an internal Italian
t. 90 iIero=s OF the Duce
rather than an overt move on his
own part to turn the trick That
he's doing his best to stir up anti
Mussolini sentiment in the Fascist
peninsula is deemed much more
than hkely-but very covertly
What becomes Of Benito. Adolf
apparently doesn't care; it's imma-
terial to him whether the Fascists
kill him or chase him into exile or
any other old thing, provided he's
completely eliminated
Stories are current to the effect
that the Fuehrer never. did like the
Duce. When they met initially
Benito already was full-fedged
Duce, and going strong, whereas
Adolf was just in his incipiency as
a Fuehrer, and accounts are that
the former patronized his vis-a-vis
overpoweringly It's the other way
about now. SO perhaps there's
something personal between the
two. Had Benito turned out to be
a capable junior partner. the
chances are that Adolf would let
bygones be bygones Benito has fig
zled, though.
OF course the Duce's censorship,
which still is effective. even though
its boss is in a peck of trouble. pre-
vents much news from getting out
Of Italy. Reports do leak out, how
ever. of a deal Of anti-Mussolini
activity there. even TO the point Of
sure-enough disturbances, especial
" in the country's northern area,
which never was as pro-Fascist as
the southern provinces.
Germany Pleased
It's noticeable, too, that German
censors are pretty free in passing
these rumors from the Nazi realm,
limiting that Berlin doesn't object
to their dissemination. II not, the
fact tends to strengthen the belief
that the Nazi regime isn't averse
10 further warming up the spot
that Benito's seated on.
The rank and file Of Germans
certainly make all kinds Of fun OF
the Italians showing against the
Greeks and in northern Africa.
Dispatches from Berlin emphasize
this detail, and the censorship
o. ks 'em readily.
Apparently II isn't that the Ger
mans want to unload Italy Though
Germany and Italy additionally
weren't particularly good friends
with one another). but that Adolf
wants to unload Benito. Then he
wants to Germanize the Italians
It'll be queer mixture. II he can
do IL
l HANAI INV