Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-08-15

may be long or may be short
This is the view of Count Carlo Sforza
an aristocrat, devout Catholic and the
chief enemy of Fascism outside of Italy
With his country today in an almost
hopeless position, caught between the
Axis and the battering blows OF the AL
lies, he is nevertheless not pessimistic. In
fact he is planning to return to Italy at
the earliest opportunity to resume his
place in the Italian Senate, confident his
people will restore democratic forms of
government with far less trouble than
the outside world believes.
You know in the Roman Forum. a"
Count Sforza says, "a drunken slave was
led in each afternoon. This was to show
the young the evils of drunkenness.
'Fascism is our drunken slave We
have seen the worst. We want none OF
It,"
Uncompromising in this moment of
trial, Count Sforza believes that King
Vlttorlo Emmanuel must go and with
him the House of Savoy The ltaIians
are a legalistlc people, he points out
They know that the King sanctioned the
dSIlSJ ISSulle lOllUWlllR Tie n1dTCn on
Rome; he insisted he had no choice as a
constitutional monarch But now, ac-
eording to Sforza having demonstrated
he could throw out Mussolini, he cannot
hide behind this pretext
Points to Way Out.
"Badoglio will fail. 1t is true. of
course, that the Italians are particularly
sensitive to the charge of violating a
treaty, It is the charge brought against
us when We entered the conflict on the
Allied side in the last war. Now Bado-
Clio says he must live up to the commit
ments made to Germany
But there is one way to eXtricate Italy
That is to say which is the fact. that
Fascism was coup d'etat. 1t was illegal
All fundamental liberties were sup
pressed. Italy under Mussolini was run
by a gang of criminals Therefore any
thing the Fascists did is void and now
no longer exists.
Then we are free to do anything We
want to do. To break with Germany
means, of course, to leave italian work.
ers-alN most of our best skilled work.
ers are therein Germany as hostages.
Thit Is cruel. But Fascism has left us
only choice of evils
II pity the King. whom I have known
for many years. But step by step he has
signed him own condemnation He is an
accomplice of Fascism and he cannot
stay"
Sforza is Knight of Anonciata, an
order dating from the 18th century and
reserved in each generation for 20 Of
Italy's bravest and best citizens. knights
of Anonciata are addressed by the King
as cousin" That an aristocrat who
has received this honor should speak so
uncompromisingly is all the more re-
markable.
Outcome Held Inevitable.
ut does not matter, essentially, what
the Allies do" Count Sforza says. There
may be those who want to restore some
one such as Grand to power. But he
would never be tolerated, not for mo-
ment. The course of history is inevitable
and have not the slightest doubt of the
ultimate triumph of democracy
of course, our time sense in Europe
is different from yours here in America.
For you 10 years is long period. For
us it is only moment"
When Badoglio's fall will come, Count
Sforza does not attempt to prophesy.
Nor will he presume to guess how many
others will make the same vain at
tempt"
ii immediately upon Mussolini's fail
the Allies had been prepared to take a
dramatic risk, then, in Sforza's opinion,
Italy might have thrown out the Ger
mans and Joined in the war against the
Nazis. What should have followed i'm
meolately, in his opinion was an at
tack on continental Italy. even if it had
been only token attack of say 10000
men. This should have been coupled
with an appeal to the Italians to Join
against their oppreSsors.
Count Sforza comedies that this would
have meant great risks. But he believes
1t would have set the Italians against
the Germans III the north. They would
have been cut to pieces" The psyche
logical moment passed and now, in
Storzas opinion, the Germans are re-
inforced and strongly entrenched along
the line of the Pc
Feared Fascist Trick,
When l first heard on the radio the
news Of the fall of Mussolini. I con-
Guided II must be a trick A trick
worked out between the German and
Italian generals and the King to give
Germany time TO send more men into
northern Italy.
linen said. no, We must at least give
this government an opportunity. | sent
that WORD to my followers in Italy But
/ still believe that it may have been a
trick.
"Badoglio is trying to do the impos-
sble. He fails because he is trying to do
tour contradictory things.
First he is trying to take Italy out OF
the war.
Second, he is trying to save the ma
chlnery of state that Will make it DOS
slble for the House OF Savoy to continue
to rule. And not only the House of Savoy
but the entire financial and social struc-
ture that has enriched Badoglio, who
began life as a peasant.
Third, he is trying to do these things
In agreement with Germany SO that he
will not be held guilty of having broken
q pledge to the Germans
And, fourth, he is, delibera tely or by
accident, helping the Germans to pre-
pare new siege lines in the north for the