The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-10-08
ITALIAN PRESS . SAD COLUMBUS
 FOUND AMERICA

Editors note: The American Republics on Oct. 12 this year celebrate the 45Oth anniversary of the discovery of America. More than usual importance will be given to that date. But in Italy, Columbus is no longer a hero. R. Livingston Pomeroy, United Press Staff Correspondent in Rome un- tfI the United States entered the war, tells about 1t in the follow ing dispatch.)
 BY LIVINGSTON POMEROY United Press Staff Correspondent
 Washington, Oct. 8-(UP)- Co., lumbus though a native Italian, is no longer a national hero in Italy. With II of the 21 American Re- publics at war, the attitude in Italy is that Columbus should have re- mained at home and left the New World undiscovered.
 Last year, even before the final break with the American countries, Italy launched a press campaign defaming Columbus on the anniver- sary of his epoch making journey Most of the fascist-controlled press published editorials attacking the policies of the American republics and generally labelling Columbus discovery as bad find. One car toon which was widely published throughout Italy depicted a thir hungry looking Italian looking III at a statue of Columbus and asking ''What made you do 1t, Christo pher?"
 Most Countries Anti-Axis
 The 450th anniversary of the dis covery of America finds most of tht Western Hemisphere, from Canad; to Uruguay, either at war or no maintaining diplomatic relation with the Axis countries. During th' first World war, nine American re- publics-Brazil Costa Rica, Cuba Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras Mic aragua, Panama and the Unitet States = declared war on Germany Peru and Uruguay-broke oil dip lomatic relations with the Centra Powers. Today only two Americal republics - Argentina and Chile : still maintain relations with tn Axis, the others having eithe broken of relations or declaret war. | So, if Columbus were to make hi tourney again, in 1922, he woul' have to run through both the Uni ted Nations and the Axis blockadeE He also would find the world dis agreeing about him, who he was where he came from. what he dis covered and what became of him. 1 According to Professor Luis Ullos director of the Peruvian Nationa Library, at Lima, Columbus mad his first voyage to the Wester Hemisphere with Danish corsair' Professor Ulloa maintains that the sailed to the new world via 1ce land, Greenland, Labrador an Newfoundland. The general belle. however, still is that the famou navigator sailed from Spain an first sighted the Island of Guana hani-San Salvador-in the Baha mas, October 12, 1492.
 Drop Claims to Remains
 Both Spain and the Dominica Republic claim that Columbus re mains lie within their borders. IT Spaniards say his tomb is in tf Cathedral of Seville and the Dt miricans say he lies in the Cathe dral at Santo Domingo.
 A few years ago. the Italians CT tered the discussion and asserte that he was in neither Seville nc Santo Domingo, but that actual Columbus was buried in his natiy town of Genoa. They even brougf forth documents to prove it.
 With the entry of the America republic into the war, howeve Italy dropped her claims and u Rome newspaper, "Ll Tevere," ca! ried an editorial stating that C. lumbus was of Jewish descent ar that Italians had no reason to proud of either him or his disco ery-the New World.