Evening star., 1943-07-28
How to HundIe ItoIy

Interim Italy needs careful han
ding. 1t presents at once a great
opportunity and potential liability
A misleading or mishandling OF a
ticklishly fluid situation may lose us
many possible gains and needlessly
prolong the greater struggle against
Germany, the archenemy.
At so crucial moment Winston
Churchill has delivered an address
before the House of Commons which
is model of insight and common
sense. Proving thereby that he
understands the situation. Britains
Prime Minister presents us with a
method which, if intelligently ap-
piled. has good prospects of success
Mr.. Churchill begins by stressing
the cardinal Importance of Musso-
lini's downfall. The keystone of the
Fascist arch has crumbled. and -
it does not seem unlikely that the
entire Fascist edifice will fall to the
ground in ruins" However. he goes
on to point out that this is merely
the beginning of very great changes"
which may succeed one another with
great rapidity." Mr.. Churchill is
Of the opinion that this internal
evolution. which may we'll take
some time shall be allowed to run
its course under no other pressure
than that of relentless war" In
short, the Italian people shall be
granted no respite from hostilities,
but shall be given a chance to accept
the inevitable in their own way.
That inevitability is break with
their Axis partner, Germany, with
drawal from the war, and uncondi-
tional surrender in the military
sense. But that does not necessarily
imply complete abdication of gov
ernmental authority. The military
dictatorship established by Marshal
Badoglio under the aegis of the
crown seems to have maintained dis
cipline in the Army and obtained
popular obedience But that regime
is necessarily fragile Mr.. Churchill
recognizes this when he goes on to
say: 1T would be a grave mistake
when Italian affairs are in this fleXi-
BILE, fluid and formative condition for
the rescuing powers of Britain and
the United States so to act as to
break down the whole structure and
expression of the Italian state. We
certainly do not seek to reduce Ital-
ian life to a condition of chaos and
anarchy and find ourselves without
any authorities with whom to deal.
BY so doing we should lay upon our
armies the burden of occupying the
entire country ;" An immense task
of garrisoning, policing and admin
istering will be thrown upon us, in
volving a grievous expenditure of
power and still more of time
Mr.. Churchill therefore bids us not
lose sight of our ultimate objective.
which is carrying on the war against
our prime and capital foe. which is
not Italy, but Germany" Such con-
tinued hostilities as may be neces-
sary against the Italians are in
tended to force their acceptance of
an armistice under which their ter
ritory can be used against the Reich,
much as France was compelled to
grant similar facilities to the Reichs-
wehr and the Luftwaffe against
Britain by the armistice Of June,
1940 An armistice is not a peace.
Italy would still be technically
belligerent. Yet this would not pre-
clude the granting OF specific terms
which would permit the tunctioning
of an Italian government with a
large measure of domestic authority.
These are wise considera tions of
Mr.. Churchills, which should be
pondered.