Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-11
ltuk's Chaotic Trend

ItoVS chaotic Trend
All the evidence indicates that
conditions in Italy are going from
bad to worse. Undernourished, ILL
clad and suffering from an acute
lack Of fuel, the general population
is prey to discomfort. The Italian
people never had their hearts in
this war. They cheered Mussolini
Justify enough when he took them
into the world struggle with prom
ises OF cheap victory and abun-
dant spoils. But cynical admiration
OF II Duce's cleverness began to
evaporate with the first Italian dis
aster in Libya, only a few months
after the stab in the back" against
fallen France in June, 1910. And
popular establishment has grown
cumulatively during two and one
half years OF uninterrupted Italian
reverses and humiliations.
1taly's losses in this war have been
staggering. With the exception of
slender hold on Tripolitania main
tanned chiefly by German arms, the
whole of an extensive colonial en-
pire built up with so much blood
and treasure has been swept away.
Nearly half OF a once powerful navy
has been destroyed. Total casualties
in dead, wounded and prisoners are
approaching the 100000 mark, and
continue to mount steadily, since,
besides the troops still in Africa,
there are supposed to be nearly $780,
900 holding down the rebellious
Balkans and some 10000 doing
arduous duty against the Russians
on the eastern front. There are
probably not more than 400, 900 regu-
lar troops in Italy itself. The bulk
Of the Italian forces in the peninsula
consist Of Fascist Black Shirt militia,
Of dubious value against a foreign
invader.
However, those Black Shirts, esti-
mated at 100000, are numerous and
strong enough to hold down dis
affection within the country. And
behind them stand German troops
estimated at nearly 100000, together
with a vast number Of Gestapo
agents working with the Fascist
Ovra or secret police in close
meshed network Of repression that
terrorizes the general population and
effectively strangles seditious plot
ting in its early stages.
Not even the most optimistic stu
dents OF Italian affairs believe there
Is much chance OF spontaneous
popular uprising in Italy, or even Of
extensive civil disobedience. Twenty
years OF Fascist repression and
propaganda have weeded out virtu-
ally all opposition leaders and have
conditioned the Italian people to
political passivity, There appear to
be no solid foundations on which a
dynamic alternative to the Fascist
regime could be built.
However, this does not mean that
Fascism itself still is strong and
vigorous. On the contrary, it seems
to be as decadent within as 1t Is
hated and despised by the non
Fascist majority. Always inefficient
and corrupt, the Fascist regime
stands more by the lack Of an ef-
fective opposition than it does by
It's own vitality. It's tenure of power
is insured chiefly by the backing of
its genuinely strong and efficient
German ally, to whom it remains a
highly useful tool. But this means
that the Fascist government, in 1tal-
ian eyes, will become more and more
the debased front" for the brutal
reality OF German domination, much
as the rulers OF nominally independ-
ent Italian principalities we're clients
OF the hated Austrian domination a
century ago, before the attainment
Of Italian national unity.
The tragic difference is that, this
time, there is no dynamic idealism
Of the Risorgimento and no stanch
nucleus OF opposition in a new Pied
mont. A collapse Of the Fascist re-
gime might therefore bring about a
period Of temporary chaos, the first
symptoms Of which are apparent in
the growing confusion, panic and
threatened breakdown of public serv-
ices under the hammer blows Of
British bombing raids and the i'm
pending threat OF Allied invasion.
The outlook for Italy is thus dark
indeed.