Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-07-29
THE DETROIT TINES
Pace I3-Thursdsy. July ~, I94s
Italy Can Gain Greatly
By MussoIini' S Firing

Nv INtuSSOIitII uitS
THE forced abdicaton of Premier Mussoln is Of great
immediate advantage to the United Nations, and of
great ultimate advantage to Italy.
In assayng the military consequences OF ms aodca-
ton il is advisable to exercise restraint
italy is still in the war the first announcements
bv the regime assert
But the capacities of Italy for carrying the war;
which were very great, are now reduced to the
vanishing point
It would be a wonderful thing if Italy could be induced
TO abandon its hopeless war without further destruction
and bloodshed.
However it is not the instinct of military weak
nations to accept invasion and defeat on their own soil
without resistance.
Hence, the end of Mussohnl is not necessarily the
end of the IN Italy
Nevertheless, since the has been not merely
disastrous for Italy but unwanted and unpopular the
hope is warranted the end of military operations by
and against Italy is near at hand
THAT will be a very good thing for the United Nations
because it will enable them to concentrate on the
war with Germany and to 1t more effectively and to
conclude it quickly.
1t will be a very good thing for Italy, too, because
the only hope for Italy the future is in the kind of
peace she will be able to make,
AS for Mussoin he is the perfect example OF ma
tonal leader given excessive power in time OF national
extremity and of using such power for self-aggrandlze
ment.
In the beginning Mussoni had great opportunity
to serve Italy we'll and for brief time he evnced
some of that opportunity and accomplished
results of considerable merit.
But he soon mistook his personal power as tyran-
meal right rule and assumed unto himself infalhbity
of judgment
And of course his harsh rule and the mistakes he
made and persisted in plunged Italy into new misorunes
and finally into war.
The tragedy of Italy is that it has been misgoverned
and betrayed by leader who pretended to be doing what
was best for his country but in reality only being
consumed by his ambition.
ITALY meant to be- or capable of being
great military empire and has only been pursuing
wil-o -the-wisp.
The Italian people not so much warike people
as an artistic and cultured people, with much more of
liking for friendship and hospitality than for hate and
conflict.
Mussolins betrayal of Italy was inevitable He had
to make his friends among people who were not the
friends of Italy He had to whet his greed for power at
the expense of the real friends of Italy
Inexorably the betrayal of Italy contrived the down.
fall Of Mussolni.
But the whole experience has been ordeal and dis
aster for Italy and such experience must have grim
price The illusion of empire pursued at such loss OF
life and wealth and with such violence to the true Italian
of Italy nruded upon not in conquest but OF necessity
Italy do to restore herself than to Danish
Benito Mussolini.
Italy can have peace. Italy can be sovereign nation
again. and have prosperity again But first Italy must
take her proper place respected nationa place for
which her people have unlimited qualifications and for
which they unquestionably have boundless desire o.