Evening star., 1943-09-17
Tert Of President Roosepelts


Congress. many important event.
have occurred at the war fronts anc
at home. You return at time wher
major battles in Europe and in Asia
are beginning to be joined In re-
cent months, the main tides of con-
flict have been running our way
but we could not and cannot be con-
tent merely to drift with this favor
able tide.
You know from the news of the
past few days that every military
operation entails legitimate mill
tary risk and that occasionally we
have checks to our plans-checks
which necessarily involve severe
losses of men and materials.
The Allied forces are now engaged
In very hard battle south of Naples.
Casualties are heavy. The despera-
ton with which the Germans are
fighting reveals that they are well
aware of the consequences to them
of our occupation of Italy
The Congress and the American
people can rest assured tnat the
landing on Italy is not the only
landing we have in mind. That land
ing was planned at Casablanca. At
Quebec, the leaders of the military
staffs of Great Britain and the
United States made specific and pre-
else plans to bring to bear further
blows of equal or greater importance
against Germany and Japan-Nith
definite times and places for other
landings on the continent of Europe
and elsewhere.
Allied Casualties 31,158.
On the 10th of July carefully
prepared expedition landed in Sicily.
In spite of heavy German opposition
it cleared this large and heavily for
titled island in 38 days.
British, Canadian and American
losses in killed, wounded and miss
ing in the Sicilian campaign were
31,15S. of which the American forces
lost 7,445. The casualties among the
italians and Germans were ap-
proximately 10000, including 132,-
900 prisoners.
The unmistakably sincere welcome
given to the Allied troops by the
Italian people has proved conclu-
sively that even in country which
had lived for a generation under a
complete dictatorship-with all of
its propaganda, censorship and sup
preston of free speech and discus
sion-the love of liberty was un-
conquerable.
It has also proved conclusively
that this war was not waged by the
people of Italy on their own choice.
All of Mussolini's propaganda ma
chine could not make them love
Hitler or hate us The less said
about the feelings toward Mussolini,
the better.
Germans Looted Italy.
I believe that equal jubilation and
enthusiasm will be shown by the
people of the other nations now
under the German heel when Nazi
gauleiters and native Quislings are
removed through force or flight.
How different was this invading
army of the Allies from the German
forces that had come into Sicily,
ostensibly to protect it." Food
clothing, cattle, medicines and
household goods had been systemat-
ically stolen from the people of
Sicily, and, sent north to the master
race" in Germany Sicily, like other
parts Of Italy and like the other
satellite and conquered nations, had
been bled white by the Nazi and
Fascist governments. Growers of
crops were permitted to retain only
small fraction of their own produce
for themselves and their families.
With the Allied armies, however,
went carefully planned organiza-
tion, trained and equipped to give
physical care to the local population
food, clothing, medicine. This new
organization Is also now in the
process of restoring to the people of
Sicily freedoms which, for many
years, had been denied to them.
am confident that, within year.
Sicily will be once more self-support-
ing-and, in addition to that, once
more self respecting.
From Sicily the advance of the
Allied armies has continued to the
mainland. On the third day of Sep
tember they landed on the toe of the
Italian peninsula. These were the
first Allied troops to invade the con-
tinent of Europe in order to liber-
ate the conquered and oppressed
countries. History will always re-
member this day as the beginning
Of the answer to the prayer of the
millions of liberty loving human
beings not only in these conquered
lands but all over the world.
Mussolini Forced Out.
On July 25th-tWo weeks after
our first landings in Sicily-political
events in Italy startled the world
Mussolini, the incubus of Italy for
q generation, the man who is more
responsible for all of the sorrows
of Italy than any one, except possibly
Hitler himself, was forced out of
Office and stripped of his power as
a result of his own dismal failures.
his wanton brutalities, and the over
whelming demand of the Italian
people. This was the first break in
Axis leadership-to be followed, we
are determined, by other and SIM
liar encouraging downfalls.
But there is ore thing l want to
make perfectly clear: When Hitler
and the Nazis go out, the Prussian
military clique must go with them.
The war-breeding gangs of mill
tarists must be rooted out of Ger
maryland out of Japan-if we are
to have any real assurance of fu-
ture peace.
Early last month, the relentless
application of overwhelming Allied
power-particularly air and sea pow
er-convinced the leaders of Italy
that it could not continue an active
part in the war Conversations were
begun by them with us. These con-
versations were carried on with the
utmost secrecy. Therefore, much as
I wished to do so, l could not COM
municate the facts of the case to the
Congress, or the press, or to those
who repeatedly expressed diSmay or