Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-12-07
Italian Chief
|nDodecanese
Islands Resigns
Recopture Of Some
Albanian Points
Claimed by Rome
B, the Associated Press.


ROME. Dec. Just short of a
half-year of active participation
in the European war, Italy has
ordered imprisonment and crop
confiscation for recalcitrant Italian
farmers and greatest impetus"
IN production of war materials while
making a second sensational change
in her high command.
Gen. Count Cesare Maria de
Vecchi di Val Cismon. one of the
original big four of Fascism with
Benito Mussolini, resigned today
his command in the strategic
Dodecanese Islands and was sue
ceeded by Gen. Ettors Bastico.
Yesterday Chief of Staff Marshal
Pietro Badoglio was replaced by
Gen. Ugo Cavallero land broad
cast today by the British Broad
casting Corp. quoted neutral
sources" at Rome for a report that
Cavallero would confer shortly with
the chief of the German high COM
mand. Gen. Field Marshal Wilhelm
KeitelD
Yugoslavs to Cooperate.
With the Fascist high command
reporting recapture of some AL
bantam positions by counterattack
against the Greeks (after a series
of drastic reverses). italian political
circles derived great satisfaction
from Fascist dispatches reporting a
willingness by Yugoslavia to Coop
crate with the Rome Berlin axis.
Foreign circles awaited some sign
as to whether this cooperation
would 60 so far as to permit Italian
supplies or even troops to cross
Yugoslavia to another sector of the
Balkan war front, although indica-
ton of any such possibility was
lacking in Italian quarters.
The italian dispatches from Bel
grade, Yugoslavias capital, quoted
Premier Dragisha Cvetkovich on the
collaboration idea.
CThe Associated Press dispatch
from Belgrade yesterday said
Cvetkovich declared Yugoslavia
would cooperate in building
new order" in Europe, but that
you can be sure she never will
permit to come into the question
our security, independence and
freedom" Addressing the Bel
grade municipal deputies, the
Premier spoke of Yugoslavia's
policy of neutrality and friend
ship with her neighbors.')
Cooperation Nom military.
Yugoslavia S cooperation with the
axis generally was expected, how
ever, to be economic and political
rather than military, although some
other countries which joined the
axis-such as Hungary and Ru-
mania-have invited technical and
military assistance. Hungary's for
eign minister, Count Stefan Csaky,
will visit Belgrade next week.
italians regard with great salts
faction the desire expressed by Cvet-
kovich for cooperation with the
axis within the framework of the
new European order" correspon-
dents were told.
TT means that work developing
in the Balkans is fully understood
and appreciated by Yugoslavia.
1T is all the more important
because it was completely spon-
taneous."
authorized sources in Berlin,
asked today whether there is any
diplomatic activity centering on
bringing Yugoslavia into the axis,
said that relations of such nature
and that constant contact Is
self evident.
Greeks Press Strongly.
The high command said the Greeks
continued to press strongly against
the italian left flank in the noun
tains west of Pogradetz, but de-
scribed their operations in the Argi-
rocastro sector on the other wing as
limited to local attacks
The communique made no mention
of Greek claims to have captured
Porto Edda, southwest of Argiro-
castro.
The high command did not specify
IN what sector the Italians made the
counter attacks reported to have re-
gained ground from the Greeks.
The communique said only:
Our counter attacks have given
us possession again of various posi-
tons. Alpine battalions, the I'd
Regiment of Bersaglieri and the 26th
Artillery of the army corps have
particularly distinguished them
selves"
Despite "decisively unfavorable
weather conditions and strong anti