The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-02-24
MUCSOLIN HIT
 UNITED STATES
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soon be crushed, he said that Italy had lost only a few thousand men, mostly wounded" as prisoners to the Greeks and added, as 6 hint of an Italian offensive Soon 1t will be spring time."
 said:
 "Let me say that that which is occurring in the United States Is one of the most colossal mystifi- cations which history recalls. IIlu- sion and lying are the base of American interveutionisnl. The H. fusion is that the United States is still a democracy when instead it is a political and financial oligarchy dominated by Jewry and personal form of dictatorship.
 "The lie is that the Axis powers after England want to attack Amer ica. Neither Rome nor Berlin has prepared such fantastic plans as this. Though we certainly are to- talitarian our feet are on hard ground.
 Ridicules Americans
 Americans who read what I say should be calm and not believe that the big bad wolf will devour them. It is more likely that the United States, sooner than being attacked by Axis soldiers, will be attacked by the not well known but very warlike inhabitants of the planet Mars who would descend from the strato- pheres in unimaginable flying fort reSSeS."
 The entire speech was in this vein. It ranged from denunciation and appeals to all Italians to hate their enemies intensely, to heavy sarcasm, irony and pathos.
 He warned any dissidentS on the home front, such as those who com- plain about food rationing, that they will be crushed underfoot like snakes"
 Asserting that Italy would never accept separate peace but would fight to "the last drop of blood" Mussolini asserted that the British had lost 10 times as many men as they admitted in Libya. He said that Italy had now 100000 men under arms and would have A. 100000 before the end of this year.
 Must Beat British
 Mussolini cited reasons why the Axis must" beat the British.
 Germany,s war strength has gi- gantically increased since the war started. The Axis controls the European continent, is allied with Japan and is friendly with Russia. The Axis blockade is continuing suc- cessfully against Britain. The Axis morale on the home front is stronger than that in Britain. Brit ain is alone and even American aid could be useful to it only if the aid could be got to Britain past the Axis blockade. There is a tendency in various parts of the British em- pire to break away and a revolt would start if Britain fell. Italy's war potential was increasing daily Britain could not defeat the Axis without landing an army on the continers and invading Germany and Italy.
 Rome, Feb. 24-tUP)-A high command commun:que said today that German airp' mes, attacking a British naval formation in the east ern Mediterranean, hit a large" ship and probably sank it. The Ger mans did not know what type of ship it was, the communique said.
 Violent British attacks in the Giarbub oasis zone of Libya were once again shattered" by stubborn Italian resistance, it was asserted, and Italian planes effectively" bombed British troops and material in the Kufra oasis to the south.
 Italian planes attacked British | bases elsewhere in Libya it was as- serted, destroying heavy motor ve- hicles and one, grounded plane, and bombed a British naval base.
 In East Africa two Italian com- panies attacked the British west Zilmami lin the Sudan" and despite the superior numbers of the British forced them to retreat with grave losses in men and material" 1t was asserted.
 Britain has said that no Italians but war prisoners remain in the Sudan)
 In Italian Somaliland the com- munique merely noted that fighting continued.
 There was activity by patrols and artillery on the Libyan front the ccmmuniQue said, and Italian planes bombed Greek military works" roads, bridges and rear lines.