Evening star., 1942-12-02
Continued From First Page. J

203 houses had been destroyed and
6,12l damaged.
Referring to stories that the peo-
pie of Genoa greeted the King and
Queen with cries of Peace, peace" ;"
on their visit to the bombed city,
Mussolini said only one woman in
Genoa cried peace and she was one
of the wealthy bourgeoise.'
He said there had not been single
case of sabotage nor instance of
anti-war demonstrations in Italy.
Political and territorial war OBJ
jectives have lost in value" II Duce
declared. Eternal values are at
stake. 1t is a matter of to be or not
to be. ="
After his speech the party
uniformed members OF his Fascist
Chamber of Corporations passed
vote of "unshakeable confidence in
ultimate victory
The press was barred from the ses-
sion, an Axis broadcast account said,
and the speech by MusSolini was
carried by radio to the Italian people
who gathered in homes and restau-
rants and in little knots outside
shops where they could hear the
broadcast.
II Duce declared that "Japans
Intervention is the absolute guaran-
tee of Axis victory" and he added:
Japan is invincible"
Mussolini said I'VE have spent
hundreds of millions of lire on
shelters that can resist the biggest
bombs"
The italian people" he said,
"are not inferior to the British and
Russian peoples. We will show them
that in our veins flows the blood
of the ancient Romans. We shall
hold fast"
Intoning Mr. Churchill's accusa-
ton that "one man and one man
only" was responsible for Italy's
entry into the war, Mussolini asked
scornfully, when did the Prime
Minister ever ask the British people
II they wanted WARP"
He promised that Germany would
reinforce Italy with powerful con-
tributions" and said the joint
Italian-German defenses will give
the raiders hot reception
Women and childlen are being re-
moved from Italian cities and towns
to leave fighters masters of the
situation" Mussolini explained.
Referring to Mr.. Churchills
reproach for the stab in the back"
to France, Mussolini declared that
no one expected France to collapse
SO suddenly and added that France
still had an air force and navy
intact when Italy declared war.
Followed Hitler's Instructions.
He disclosed, however, that even
in fixing the date of her entry into
the war Italy acted at Hitlers beck
and call.
"Italy's entry into the war had
been planned for June s." Mussolini
said, but the German general staff
asked the italian high command,
for reasons of a technical character.
to postpone Italys Intervention until
June TO-"
Mussolini conceded that Italy's
entrance into the war stabbed
France in the back-but said she
deserved 1t.
Let us admit he said, that we
stabbed France in the back-but
this is only one stab in the back
compared to a hundred stabs France
has made on Italy in history.
France always has been arrogant"
When he came to MI. Churchill's
question to the Italian people, how
long will it last?" Mussolini said:
Il answer in the most solemn
manner-forever Until we achieve
complete victory"
Noting that Mr.. Churchill called
him a hyena, Mussolini said he con-
sidered himself "a thousand times
more gentleman than Churchill,
intoxicated with alcohol and
tobacco
"England's history of the last 300
years is one of long list of acts
worthy of hyenas, he added.
Churchill says my empire is gone,
but the last word has not been
spoken"
The Premier complained that
nobody ever really understood
Italy and every time we asked for
something we found obstacles in our
path"
If I had listened to that hyena
Roosevelt he would have thought me
a chump,'" he said.
He scolded the Italians for cir
culating silly stories and gossip"
about the Duce and cited as an
instance the night he ordered the
occupation of Corsica.
The rumor was circulated through
out Italy, he said, that he had un-
dergone an operation and even that
he had died.
Says Italians Are United.
Mussolini shouted that the Ital-
ians never have been so united. He
denied there had been any sabotage
In Italy and praised the discipline
Of his countrymen.
I'VE must learn to hate because
we cannot fight without hating" he
declared, referring to the frequent
reports that the Italians are not
enthusiastic about the war.
we must act with the utmost
energy against those who would
appease the spirit of the Italians.
This was is not only necessary
1t is a sacred cause. We are proud
TO participate in this battle of
giants which will transform the
world"
The Duce warned that if the Axis
lost. the peace would be 100 times
worse than the treaty of Versailles
and the whole world would be
reduced to the status of India"
We must fight for the living. but
we must avenge our dead-our dead
cry: Fight until victory We obey"
Cites Important Events"
THE less one says in wartime the
better" the Premier said, but I
have vague impression the Italian
people want to hear me.
THE most important events of
the last IA months orc. I The