The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-02-05
Strain Of War Takes Toll
Among Italians; Weaken
ing Noticeable
CHANGE IN ENVOY
TO TURKEY NOTED
ROmmel Moves Italian SOls
diers Ahead Of Germans
In Africa
BY ROBERT DowsoN

BY ROBERT DOWSON
United Press staff Correspondence
London, February 5. -
CUP - Italy is showing new
signs Of weakening under the
strain of war and Benito
Mussolini is trying to reach
a secret peace agreement
with Vichy France In. an at.
tempt to present to his dis
couraged people some profits
to set off against the loss
Of the entire Italian empire dis
patches from Stockholm reported
today.
At the same time Ankara pointed
out that Augusta Rosso, who has
been ordered to Turkey as new
italian ambassador, was alnbassa.
dor at washington for four years
and has an American wife. In q
neutral capital he will have con-
tact with United Nations diplomacy
II he wishes.
Ankara reported yesterday that
the Turkish minister to Rumania,
who left Bucharest suddenly for
Ankara, was believed to be carry
ing peace feelers from Marshal Ion
Antorlescu, Rumanian dictator.
Stockholm advices quoted reliable
diplomatic sources as saying that
an italian delegation headed by q
high army offlcer had left for Paris
with proposals designed to be de-
signed to be the basis for peace
agreement with Pierre Laval %
Vichy.
Breach Feared
"a dispatch from G. r. Cummings
ham, United Press war corresponds
ent at Allied headquarters in North
Africa, reported that Field Marshal
Erwin Rommel, leading the Axis re-
treat from Libya, had gone to spec
cial pains to move the Italians
ahead Of the Germans for fear Of
causing a political breach between
Hitler and Mussolini. italian
prisoners to whom Henry T. Gors
rell, United Press war corresponds
ent with the British Eighth Army.
talked were bitterly angry, charge
ing Rommel had sacrificed them
east Of Tripoli to save his own
men.)
italy would renounce its claimA
to the Nice area Of France and be
content with minor frontier corr
rections," the advices reported. II
proposes instead of its specific
claim to Corsica and Tunisia @
SaiVAt nh -TtnItayH AAVNa teafatNA
ton Of both areas, and 1t further
suggests joint French German .
Italian administration Of the fore
mer African colonies Of all three
countries.
AS regards Rosso, who succeeds
Ottavio de Peppo as italian am
bassador to Turkey, II was pointed
out that even aside from his Amer.
lean wife he had many American
diplomatic connections by virtue Of
his service as ambassador at WASH
ington from 1882 to 1896, when he
went to Moscow, and his previous
service as embassy counselor at
Washington from 1922 to 1925 and
at London from 1925 to 1927. Be-
fore the war he was regarded AZ
pro- German. His two sons are
American citizens.
Italy announced last night that
effective Saturday no hard liquor
would be sold anywhere in the
country because alcohol was needed
for war industry.
This was minor reflection Of @
grim test the griInn,est nf ~ months
of war, which started today for Ger
many and every one of its satel.
lite or occupied countries through-
out Europe.
Not only. under DEGREES proniul-
gated yesterday, are between 100.s
900 and 10000 small businesses TO
be closed by March is deadline
in Germany but orders have been
issued for the rounding up for
home service of all Germans in oc-
cupied and neutral countries, Stock
holm reported.
Call Extends to Jews
The call for Germans abroad exc
tends to refugees, half Jews ana
foreign women married to Germara,
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