Evening star., 1940-05-13
Italy Reinforces
Positions Alonq
French Border
More Reservists Called:
Students March on
Embassies Halted
~ the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
ROME, May 13-In the midst of
. rising anti-allied campaign, Italy
busily reinforced her Littori line of
fortified positions along the western
Alpine frontier facing France today
and, according to Italian sources,
called out additional reservists to
reinforce her army of 1,25O,OOO men.
There were two major expressions
Of anti-allied sentiment, one series
Of student demonstrations that
brought out 500 soldiers and police
to protect the British and French
Embassies, the other continued
propaganda against British French
control over shipping in the Medi-
terranean.
Troops and police prevented the
student demonstration from reach
ing the two Embassies. Students
who had marched through the
streets with an Italian flag dis
persed after spectators said they had
heard them shouting for war.
Italian units protecting the British
and French Embassies were estimat-
ed to total more than 500. Most of
them were in the streets around
the French Embassy. Others have
reinforced the guard at the British
Embassy. Most of the guards stood
in doorways and courtyards out of
sight, but within call.
Seminaries Reported Closing.
In addition, Catholic sources an
nounced that English and Scottish
seminaries for student priests were
being closed and that the Belgian
seminary had been closed.
Authorities at Scottish and Eng
lish theological seminaries denied
the report in church circles that the
schools were closing. They said,
however, they were waiting for ad-
vice from the British consulate.
No confirmation of the call for
fresh reservistS was available in
authoritative quarters on the grounds
that it was military information.
But one informed source said the
figure of 100000 men published
abroad probably was exaggerated.
The British Legation to the Holy
See, as well as authorities at the
Vatican, were reported reliably to
have advised the English and
Scottish students it would be
prudent for them to 60 home.
Infantry, carabinieri and mounted
police in doorways, courtyards and
streets prevented groups of students
from reaching the British and
French Embassies. 1t was reported
the italian students had been let off
from their classes for what was
planned to be large demonstration.
Trucks Requisitioned.
italian authorities resumed requi-
sitioning trucks for the second time
since the outbreak of the war last
September. A reliable source said
1000 trucks were requisitioned in
Rome alone.
Premier Mussolni ordered further
improvement of the Littorio Line In
q busy Sunday, during which He
conferred with high officers of the
army, including those who command
zones on the French border, on mil
itary questions concerning their
armies" as an ofncial announcement
phrased it.
The Littorio Line takes its name
from the Lictors, guards who pre-
ceded magistrates of ancient Rome
and bore the symbolic fasces from
which the modern Fascist emblem
derives.
Details Of the Notifications have
been kept secret, but they are be-
lieved to extend through the Brenner
Pass and along the border with Ger
many as well as the French frontier.
Woman Roughly Handled.
There were street outbursts among
italians yesterday and last night,
and differences of Italian opinion
about the German entrance into
Belgian and the Netherlands were
widely reported One woman who
defaced an anti-British poster in
Rome last night was roughly han
died by a crowd, bystanders related,
as ardent Fascists made clear their
displeasure with Great Britain.
In several instances, copies of the
Vatican City newspaper, L'Osserva-
tore Romano, which contained Pope
Plus expressions of support for the
rulers of Belgium, Holland and
Luxembourg, were torn from read
ers' hands by blackshirted Fascists.
Onlookers said one reader was
ducked In a fountain. Students
seized copies of the Vatican City
paper from some railway news
stands.
There was an unconfirmed report
that the sale Of foreign newspapers,
including L'Osservatore Romano,
was to be prohibited in Rome.
Press Issues Warning.
Fascist newspapers refrained to-
day from raising the possibility of
war with the allies over the vexa-
tions of contraband control in the
Mediterranean as part of the block
.ade against Germany. The italian
press warned Britain and France,
however, that they were playing a
dangerous game"
Popolo di Romano asserted Italy
would not be inclined to accept
certain arrogance nor are we peo-
pie to leave unsettled accounts run
ming around"
IF we have marauders to deal
WITH" the paper concluded, 'it is
well to know right now that we have
means and methods to reply fully
with their methods"