Evening star., 1941-03-25

By the Associated Press.
ROME, March 25-Marshal Ro-
dolfo Graziani today resigned COM
mand of Italy's North African troops
and the positions of army chief of
staff and Governor of Libya.
An official announcement said
Gen. Italo Garibaldi. chief of Mar
shall Graziani's staff in Libya, had
been promoted to Governor with
command of troops in Libya.
Gen. Mario Roatta, army under
chief of staff, was promoted to chief
of staff.
Marshal GraZiani, army chief of
staff since October. 1889, was named
commander of the army in Libya
July /, 1910, succeeding Marshal
Italo Balbo, who was killed when
his plane was shot down over
Tobruk.
He organized the Italian advance
into Egypt which was turned into a
retreat when the British recaptured
Sidi Barrani last December. He re-
tained command throughout the
British counter offensive in which
the Italians we're driven from East
ern Libya.
The communlQue announcing
Marshal Graziani's resignation said:
AT his own request, Marshal
Graziani ceases to hold the posts of
army chief of staff, Governor of
Libya and commander in chief of
the Italian forces in North Africa.
The last post was assumed by
General Designate of the Army Italo
Gariboldi. The post of army chief
of staff is assumed by Assistant
Chief of Staff Army Corps Gen.
Mario Roatta.
Division Gen. Francesca RoSsi be-
comes assistant army chief of staff"
Rumors that Marshal GRAHAM
would resign began circulating about
the time Marshal Pietro Badoglio
retired as chief OF staff December
6. They became more persistent
after the North African disaster.
Recently Marshal GRAHAM was re-
ported to be suffering from a throat
ailment which might require an
operation.
Gen Gariboldi commanded the
Grand Unit" of the Italian forces
in East Africa before he became
chief of Graziani's staff in Libya.
Gen. Roatta had been underchief
of staff since he replaced Gen.
Ubando Soddu when the latter was
supplanted by Gen. Alfredo Guz-
zoni.
Marshal Graziana held his posi-
tions as Governor of Libya and
commander of North African forces
for months after his start of
an invasion of Egypt backfired and
he lost Eastern Libya to a British
counter drive.
Repeated rumors that he was to
be replaced were denied in Rome,
where the veteran North African
campaigner sent Premier Mussolini
his own account of why he couldn't
stop the British.
414o IO1 Y AdSS cCICAlDC1 D4dlllCd
his reverses on lack of armored
cars, tanks and other mechanical
equipment and said the British got
the jump on him by starting their
croSs-desert push just before the
zero hour for planned Italian drive
on toward the Nile.
The marshal declared, II once
more confirm to you categorically
that everybody there has fulfilled
his duty as far as possible"
Went First as COnqueror.
Marshal Graziani went to Libya
first as conqueror, then as adminis-
traitor and finally in his capacity as
military commander saw wrested
from his troops much of the terri
tory he, himself, had won.
He served as a major in the Italian
army in the World War, then re-
turned to Africa, the scene of his
early campaigns.
He became known as The Afri-
can" led Italian arms in winning
Libya for the new Roman Empire in
campaigns from 1921 to 1929, served
as governor of Italian Somaliland for
short time after 1884, then became
chief of Italian troops in East Africa
at the outbreak of the Ethiopian
campaign.
1t was his army which destroyed
the forces of Ras Desta, SON. -in-law
of Emperor Halle Selassie-one of
the blows which added Ethiopia as
an Italian colony.