Evening star., 1943-06-26
Will Rome Be Bombed?

4uc MUCH WOOCeQ question OF
Rome as potential AFRAID target is
again to the fore. The Allied air
campaign against italy is being daily
stepped up to new intensity, and its
people have been warned that mill
tary objectives throughout the coun-
try may expect visitations from Brit
ish and American bomber squadrons.
From strictly military viewpoint,
Rome, the capital of Italy, is an i'm
portant objective. Industrially 1t is
not to be compared with the cities of
the north. but as the administrative
seat of highly centralized state, the
disruptive effects OF intensive aerial
bombardment would do much to
weaken Italy's war effort, while the
psychological effects on popular
morale would be still greater. Ever
since Italy's entry into the war, the
bombing of Rome has been strongly
advocated In Britain, but such a
move has been opposed with equal
intensity. Though the debate has not
as yet become so vocal in America, a
similar division Of opinion undoubt-
edly exists here.
The primary objection Is religious.
Rome is not merely the capital of
Italy, it Is also the heart of Catholic
Christendom. Since 1929, the Papacy
has been recognized by the Italian
government as sovereign over the
domain known as Vatican City, a
tract of land with an area of 1887
acres. Similar recognition has been
accorded by considerable number
of states in Europe and Latin Amer
lea, and diplomatic relations are
maintained between them and the
Holy See. Vatican City has thereby
acquired, to a considerable part of
the world, the status of a sovereign
entity bound to perpetual neutrality.
A large-scale aerial bombardment of
Rome would involve the likelihood of
damage to Vatican City or to the
buildings which, though outside its
confines, are considered part of the
Papal domain and enjoy extra terri
torial rights.
This legal aspect is of course tran
scended by the fact that the entire
city of Rome is dotted with religious
and antiquarian treasures whose de-
struction would be deplored through
out the world. The psychological
reaction to such losses would be un-
fortunate from a purely practical
standpoint. Yet blanket immunity
of Rome from aerial attack would
tend to rouse resentment among the
United Nations.
These arguments, pro and con, have
been carefully weighed by high off,
cials of the Royal Air Force, who have
come to the conclusion that Rome is
no more entitled to exemption from
bombing than any other city con-
tanning military objectives which
happen to be situated near religious
or historical monuments likely to be
damaged. However, this does not
mean that the RAF has determined
on bombing Rome, and its spokesman
has suggested that the Italian capital
be declared an open city by the Fas-
cist government. This would mean
not only the dismantling Of defenses
and withdrawal of troops but the
transfer of the government and ad-
ministration to some other place. The
spokesman for the Raj has init
mated that Allied observers should be
permitted to enter Rome in order to
make sure that the conditions had
been complied with. Such conces-
sion by the Italian government
would be unlikely unless Italy were
on the verge of collapse.
The status of Rome in relation to
aerial bombardment thus remains
undetermined. Certainly there Is
nothing in the record of any of the
Axis powers regarding "open cities"
which should entitle the capital of
Fascism to special consideration. If
the Eternal City is spared the devas-
tation which has so frightfully visited
Warsaw, Rotterdam. London, Manila
and many others. 1t will be due to
Allied reluctance to undertake so
tragic task.