The Wilmington morning star., 1940-12-07
BY pEC1pn

a statement of the aims Of tbs
London-Athens axis in this field w
the great conflict is urgently neo9
ed.N Up to this time the GreeLs
have been so busy ~rescuing ItaraS
soldiers fromm Mussolini's miIitsrA
slavery that they seem to hsys
given no thought to the importsr'
matter of heartening the ~italisn,
at home. This program should b.
obvious, but, nevertheless. tbe
Greeks should take occasion IN 10,
the Italians know positively what
they intend to do for them. # is
a plan which should appeal strong.
ly to the whole Italian nation. fer
it was borrowed bodily from their
own national program, with which
every school child in Italy is fam.
liar.
First, of course, the humane
Greeks intend to deliver the It,I.
ians from the clutches of Na7i
Germany-a humiliating condition
of national life which has aroused
the sympathy of all who respect
the Italian character. This means
naturally, that Mussolini and Ciano
must go, becau~e they are false
leaders who have betrayed the
Italian nation to the fuehrer in re.
turn for a few medals and Some
hours of splendor and personal flat.
terry in Munich and Berlin.
Valid P~recedents
There are valid precedents for
this war aim in the conduct of the
Italian nation under the Duce. He
made war on the Negus to liberate
the Abyssinians from their false
leaders, and he went in to Albania
overnight in a spontaneous burst
of kindness to rescue the people
from King Fog, who, of course,
had sold them out to the British.
In fact, the present war with
Greece began as a mission to lib.
crate the Greeks from British dom.
nation, and thus it was Mussolini
himself who gave the Greeks the
idea of rescuing the Italians.
1t seems to be agreed that the
Italian people are deeply humiI.
ated as a result of the Duce's lead.
ership. They are not a brutal PEG.
pie, and their sense of honor and
justice is such that when placed in
a false position in war by Mus.
solini they have been unable to do
themselves credit. Not only have
they been routed in the field by the
alarmed, unsoldiered rabble in
Spain and now, again, by their mil.
|itary interiors in Albania, but,
worst of all, some of their best
, soldiers were compelled to learn
: and execute the goose : step in
Rome before the contemptuous
: gaze of Adolf Hitler, who observed,
, incidentally, in common with thou
sands of other Germans, that they
!, goose-stepped very badly.
, The Greeks simply could not per-
nit this degradation to go on
Their chivalry has forced them TO
take the field on a mission Of de-
liverance, and when they enter
= Rome to the hysterical applause
of rejoicing multitudes they Will
. conduct a symbolic ceremony OF
i, great significance on the balcony
-. of Mussolini's palace.
:. Solmen Exercise
= In this simple but solemn eXeT'
= else, the Greeks, with a subtle rel.
l erence to the greater Antiquity OF
their w civilization, will hand TO
: the Duce and Count Ciano each a
: goblet and bid them drink, mol
. hemlock but castor oil. Thereafter
a the Duce and Ciano will be turned
free to roam at will in Italy, oW
e compelled always to wear theH
q gaudiest regalia, which will maze
them conspicuous and abSufa
: among their own people, who VIII
promptly put off their monkey suns
and resume the attire ct clVlllzeu
e human beings.
But, of course, there must De
territorial guarantees and conceS.
sions. After all. the Italian nauop
I has thoroughly established the plo'
priety of such conditions by reccos,
e niZing loot as a legitimate re"dLu
of war. 1t was only because us
Duce felt that Italy had been cfeat
t ed OF her fair share of the loot u
: 1918 that he fomented and, hfany,
, joined this war, so plainly, Ules.'
will be entitled to some acfease
Italy as her pay for the pfeSs"
l rescue operation. -.
! 1t seems probable that VI.
: Greeks will occupy Italy WIN a.
, army for some years in ofoel W
. confer on the people the oenellJ
of their fine old civilization anu
, culture and, by degrees, cure slls,1
, of the evil teachings OF the Du.o
This would parallel the halah p.y
, gram of spreadin. Fascism by NM
= itary conquest and Occupation div
exterminating ideas of democIa W.
1t would take some time, 1oI w.
:. Italians are pretty far gone S!.si
: al these years undo Museum ams
can't be trusted to govern Ihe',
selves and respect the righl'
others overnight. ,;.
Still there is good raw maIst's
g in the Italian nation, and may0t., NJ
hundred years from no" ,;-s.
, Greeks will think it safe to %a~
: draw their military and cu'1 Nv
I protectorate and let them M
! again. They don't want to hsI ~
the Italians. They only VAN
, rescue them and civilize int
:, again.
n nffs YEsU