Evening star., 1940-12-21


Madrid or even through Washing
ton, to obtain terms which will en-
able your country to survive the
effects of your miscalculations.
What those terms will be I leave to
your practical sense of judgment.
I merely suggest that the Fascist
Navy be sent, by prior arrange
ment with the British, to the
Docadenese Islands, to be interned
or immobilized for the balance of
the war, and that you, taught by
the example Of France, fly your en-
tire air force across the Mediter-
ranean to Tripoli, in order to put it
out of the reach of Herr Hitler's
long arm. Thus you would preserve
intact the only weapons which
could expose your country to direct
attack from either side and would
remain in q position to work for
the creation of that Latin bloc on
which the English and Americans
must eventually depend for
counter-poise to the power and the
doctrines of the third reich.
The time has also come for you
to realize that the reasons for your
failures in Greece and Egypt do
not lie in either your equipment or
your organization. The failure is
due to the fact that the average
Italian citizen is as realistic and
intelligent as you are yourself. I
have seen the Italian people rise
above the disaster of Caporetto and
endure hunger and sef-sacrifce
with patience, courage and imag-
lnation. Fighting against their tradi-
tional enemies from the north there
is nothing they will not dare, moth.
ing they will not suffer.
Poor Cannon Fodder.
But the same qualities which
made them formidable on the Piave
and brought them to Vittorio We.
neto makes the Italians poor can.
non fodder. Fighting against an
unarmed foe in Ethiopia, they won
with remarkable ease, but even in
the Spanish Civil War they were
not always reliable. Today, fight
ing first France and then England,
which aided the cause of Italian
freedom, and against Greece, which
inspired the miracle of your Ris-
orgimento, the Italians have not
their heart in the struggle. How
could they believe in the wicked
ness of the England which backed
Cavour, Garibaldi and Mazzini?
How could the Italians really hate
the France, which had fought Aus
trla for their liberation? How could
the Italians believe that tiny Greece
was a mortal foe of the Third
Rome? How could they ignore the
plain judgment of the American
people, who had come to their
economic rescue during and after
the first World War?
You know that you yourself would
not die for contingency and would
not sacrifice your power or your
career simply on the chance that
thereby at some future date things
might work out for the benefit of
your country and your regime.
Your fellow Fascists are, like your
self, reasonable and intelligent men
which is why they are not fighting
well or even furiously.
Could Escape Snare.
Now is the time, Signor Musso-
lini, to escape from the snare in
which Herr Hitler has entrapped
you. Neither you nor your diplo-
mats can conceal from the councils
OF your party or your King the fact
that the Nazis are not in the least
bit displeased to witness your difi-
culties, since they calculate that
your weakness will render Italy
more completely dependent on and
subservient to Berlin. And YOU can.
not reasonably doubt, Signor Mus
solini, that if Herr Hitler could
purchase peace by sacrificing you
and your country he would do sos
without an instant's hesitation,
since that is exactly what YOU
would do to him if you had the
chance.
You have a chance now-today-
as a result of your serious but not
yet fatal disasters in Africa and
the Balkans. So my advice, as one
who likes and admires the Italian
people and wishes them well, is to
seize the opportunity which now is
before you. put your navy and your
air force out of Hitler's reach and
make a swift truce with England
before the Gestapo can organize a
Nazi march on Rome and make of
Italy mere Sudmark of the Third
Reich.
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