Evening star., 1942-06-10
Intelligent Italians
Now Concede They
Cannot Win War
Also Said to Be Ashumed
Of Country's R ole Against
France and Greece
By MRS. FREDERIKA McvICKAR

By MRS. FREDERIKA McVICKAR
GAS Told to Sheilah Graham.
NEW YORK, June 10 (NA.NAo.-
German women are popular In Italy
with Italian men :. Hitler's per-
secution of the Catholics of Ger
many and German-occupied terri
tory have been withheld from the
Catholic country of his Italian Axis
partner -. The Japs are the newest
model in heroes for the Italian
population :. The Fascist party in
Italy is only completely popular
with the children D.. Thousands on
thousands of Italian peasants are
pouring into Germany to help out
with problems of labor The
greatest fear of an Italian mother
is that her son will be sent to fight
in Russia And most intelligent
Italians now believe they cannot
win the war.
Shortly before I left Italy I was
talking about the war to pro-
fessor from Milan. There wouldn't
be enough lampposts in all Milan to
hang the people who started this
war" he told be with extreme bit
terness. His attitude is typical OF
how the Italian intelligentsia feel
about the war. The intellectuals
in Italy all crave for peace, and
what rejoicing there will be when
that day finally arrives!
When Italy entered the war the
people thought England was going
to cave in. 1 saw letter from an
italian officer, written just after
Dunkeroue. saying, Il assure you
that the war will be over in two
months. I have it on the highest
authority
EVERYWHERE I went in italy at that
time they were always talking about
how the Germans would soon invade
Britain. Then when Russia came
in they said that Germany would
conquer her in a month. That nope
gradually died.
Decent Italians Ashamed.
A young Italian recently said to
me. "Of course, we shall win the
war" Wanting to be polite, re-
piled, It didn't say you wouldn't.
He looked down and sighed, then
said. Italy is in terrible. condi-
ton"
All decent Italians are ashamed
of the part they played in Greece
the stab in the back against
France and the poor showing OF
their troops in Africa. One woman
said to me in Florence. I'VE have
no more empire, and all the men
we lost, for what?'
But. of course, the Fascist party
and the newspapers continue to beat
a loud drum of Italian superiority
and try-a little hopelessly-to
maintain morale, with military pa
rades and the singing of war songs
The most popular Italian song Of the
moment. "Lili Marleen," has been
borrowed, with a lot of other things
from the Germans. This song, in
the tradition of "Tipperary" and
"Madelon" of the last war. is played
on the italian radio every night at
10 O'Clock. Tiny children sing it in
the streets. The soldiers whistle
1t as they march.
Whenever there is a German VIC
tory, and, since Pearl Harbor, a Jap
victory, there is a shower of flags
all over the cities. The Japs' sue
cess has been bad for American
prestige. The japanese heros" is
the way the Italian refer to their
Axis partner in the Orient.
Censors Seized Letters.
The Italian propaganda machine
has tried to make the people be-
lieve that the Americans and Brit
ish are cruel and ruthless and not
above torturing their prisoners. But
even the ignorant peasants find this
hard to swallow. So many Italians
have relatives in America, and fam