Evening star., 1942-01-30
Nv DAVID M. NICHOL,

BY DAVID M. NICHOL,
Correspondent Of The Star and Chicago
Daily News.
One OF the strangest business
deals OF the century is contributing
nightly to the resentment and
hatred OF the Italians for their Nazl
neighbors and allies.
When Mussolini's dreams OF en-
pire in Africa were smashed by the
Australians and the other British
forces, Italian interests were con-
fiscated wherever they were found.
The take included some 10000 600
lire in Italian currency, and pre-
sented the English with the neat
problem of how they could best
dispose of it.
By design or otherwise, the whole
lot found its way into the SWISS
market where the Germans, never
a people to pass up a good thing,
bought 1t at bargain basement
prices.
The spree Of purchasing which
followed has ranked the Italians
ever since. The touring" Nazls,
with money that cost them almost
nothing, bought food and clothing
until there was hardly any left.
They bought art objects wherever
they could find them, not from any
intrinsic appreciation but because
initiation Is an ever-present threat.
They bought jewelry until the 1tal-
ian government was compelled to
tmpose the most rigid restrictions
on the export of any precious metals
to any one, including their German
allies.
Bought New Share Of Hatred.
More than all these, however. the
Nazis bought new share OF hatred,
a new measure of undependabillty,
and added a new bruise to one OF
the most painful Of the multiple
sore spots which plague the new
order.
Italy as an ally is almost useless,
except for the geographical Dase
1t provides for the occupying Ger
man forces. when in Rome do
as the Germans do" runs the goth
century version of an ancient line.
Whenever it has served the Nazis
purpose they have placed the in
terests of the Italians secondary
or even farther down the list. So
eager are the Germans to make
an arrangement with the French
that they have assured Vichy the
Italian claims on France will not
be considered, except possibly for
face-saving and otherwise unlmpor-
tant concessions in Africa.
In November when reports were
current that Petain and Mussolini
would meet one French official
scoffed at the rumor. What, he
asked with elaborate gestures,
would be the use.
''Mussolini would say, We want
this and this and this The mar
shal would say. 'No-c'est fini,'"
The contempt with which the
Germans treat their "allies" is
colossal. Once when the Italians
beat the Germans by couple of
hours to the announcement of
Hitler r-Mussolini seance at the
Brenner Pass. the Foreign Office
spokesman was badgered about 1t
at the daily press conference In
the dingy, paneled Wilhelmstrasse
room where Bismarck formerly met
his cabinet.
Reply Coolly Polite.
The reply was coolly polite. There
had been a misunderstanding"
But when the formal conference
was ended, the Italians were herded
into q smaller room and told what
they would and would not do in the
future in tones and terms that
penetrated most of the building.
German invective is peculiarly
blunt.
How securely based are the ties
between the NaZis and their jap
anese allies is likewise dubious.
When the then japanese Foreign
Minister Matsuoka visited Berlin
last April, he spoke in the glowing
and most general terms and pro-
missed nothing He was headache
to his Axis hosts from the moment
he began his journey until his re-
turn to Toxic.
Nazi Foreign Minister Won Ribben-
trop. who had insisted he would
not utter another word in that Ian