Evening star., 1943-07-21
|Duce Believed
Urging Hitler
To Rush Aid
Sicily Considered
Lost Cause Already.
Observers Assert
ny the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press
BERN, July 81. - Informed
diplomatic circles expressed be-
lief today that Premier Mussolini
had made an urgent appeal to
Adolf Hitler for more help in the
defense of his gravely- threat
ened country when the Axis
partners met Monday some
where in Northern Italy-per-
haps Verona.
Uondon circles expressed be-
lief that II Mussolini asked Hitler
for more aid he did not get very
far. They doubted that the Ger
mans could rush very strong re-
Inducements into Italy even If
they wishedD
Bern sources agreed that imme-
diate events in the battle OF Sicily
had prompted the conference, which
appaI entity was held as American
bombers pounded Rome, but most
of them felt that the situation in
Italy itself was the main topic of
discussion.
Considered Lost Cause.
In reaching this conclusion they
pointed to recent Axis statements
limiting that both Germany and
Italy already regard the defense of
Sicily as lost cause.
The observers reasoned that II the
Axis has given up hope of holding
the island the next line Of defense
must be on the Italian mainland
and that ways and means must be
found of Withdrawing the remnants
of the Sicilian force and reorgan-
izing to resist an Allied landing.
Obviously, informed sources said,
one Of the big problems of effective
resistance to the Allies is air power
They pointed out that even the Axis
has acknowledged Allied air super
iority in the Sicilian theater, while
the Allies have reported only neg
ligible resistance to their aerial as
saults.
Military observers estimate the
Axis has 5000 to 5000 planes in COM
bat on all European fronts. OF these
approximately 1900 to 2,100 are said
to be fighter planes, backed up by
a reserve of unknown quantity.
They agreed that If the Allies are
to be quarantined on Sicily and the
Italian mainland saved by an effec-
tive delaying action on the island
this reserve must be thrown into
the battle.
They pointed out. however, that
the question Is a tough one for Hit
ler, since it Is on the German Air
Force, which is larger and better
trained than the Italian. that the
brunt Of the fighting would fall.
There were two sides to the oues-
ton confronting Hitler, observers
believed First: Would German COM
mitments in Russia, the Balkans. in
Occupied France and Norway, and
at home be endangered, and, sec
ond, is blasted Italy a good
risk?
They pictured Hitler as asking
Mussolini several questions. Hitler
would want to know. they thought,
just how much of an impression the
Roosevelt Churchill surrender ap-
peal has made on the rank and file
in Italy. They considered it unlikely
that Germany would sQuander her
air reserves in an effort to protect a
nation on the verge of cracking up
internally.
Large Scale Deseftions.
If Mussolini could convince Hitler
that the Fascist party was success
fully counteracting Allied propa :
ssnda and was likely to keep the
Army and the civilian population in
hand, then the latter might con-
slider greater aid, they felt.
The sources pointed out, however
that there were definite rumors of a
growing underground movement in
Italy In addition to widespread re-
ports Of large-scale desertions in the
Italian Army
They also felt that Hitler probably
would want to know what measures
Italy was taking in her own behalf
There was, for instance, the ques-
tion of the Italian Navy, which did
not venture out of its mainland
bases to oppose Allied landings on
Sicily They reasoned that Hitler
probably would want an explana-
ton for that.
Observers said the Fascist press
has explained that the Italian Navy
was being. saved for bigger task
when the attempt to invade the con-
tinent arrives, but they noted that
the German nrnSS has cnrounantaci