Evening star., 1943-08-02
Madrid
Continued From First Page \

cuts a ragged channel $50 miles
eastward to the Gulf of Venice.
Italian divisions along the Dali
matian coast were reported to have
begun to concentrate at cara and
move toward the port of Fiume,
which is now largely in German
hands.
An Italian source said this move
ment left the future of Fiume In
doubt. However. Fiume is a logical
center through which to funnel back
into Italy Italian troops who are
being withdrawn from Balkan oc-
cupational assignments.)
Homeward movements of italian
troops In Northern Greece and
Montenegro, Serbia and Albania also
were reported.
Last Monday night the Germans
III this neutral capital were low
very low Today. however. they
were gaining confidence and were
talking of the difference between
Italians and Germans as soldiers.
A German diplomat told a neutral
friend there was the vital point
that, despite the Italian collapse,
Hltler's forces had slammed shut
at Trieste" a door to the Balkans.
La Spezia First Stronghold.
Venice and the great plain through
Bologna. 80 miles southwest CT Ven
ice, were not occupied" officially
but German troops were declared
now well placed to complete such
action within 48 hours.
The first German line that Gen.
Dwight D. Eisenhower's forces would
meet If Italy should surrender prob
ably would be from the naval base
of La Spezia, 200 miles above Rome
to Pesaro or Anacona through the
Northern Apprentices.
The next line. roughly from 80 to
100 miles farther north, would be
that of the Pc River, The Todt
labor organization, reports received
here said, Is still busy fortifying the
Pc Valley itself and it's two kew
roads-one through the Julian Alps
to the Balkans by way of the Udine
plain and the other west, through
Turin or Genoa, to the French
Riviera.
AS FAR as the Germans were con-
cerned, there were two weak points
in this system and both were Italian
the Italian Army and the Italian
people. There was the danger that
both might rise against the Nazi
forces. Many of the Italian troops
returning from the Balkans are
from Northern Italy.
To perhaps eight Nazi divisions
stationed along the Po for Just such
an emergency before Mussolini quit
nave been added at least 10 more.
most of them from Austria and
France. (The l8 divisions might
total from 10000 to 10000 mem
Negotiations Reported Underway,
OF these reinforcing divisions, two
were stationed Immediately north of
Milan, reports from Italy said.
In that city hundreds of Germans
have already seen action since Mus
Sollnl resignation, for they sup
ported Fascist bands who barri
caded themselves in clashes with
Milanese and regular italian Army
forces.
The German defense plan l.:
founded on the idea that three or
four Nazi divisions now in Sicily
will be sacrificed or at best. will
fight a delaying action back up the
Italian Peninsula.
Meanwhile. Madrid was rife with
rumors about developments in Rome
itself. but SO far they seemed moth
Ing but runners. All agreed armlstice
negotiations were under way, but
all disagreed about the status and
avenues Of negotiation.
Some of these nebulous reports
insisted Badoglio still pinned his
faith on Vatican conferences, where
the Germans themselves were re-
ported sounding out the Allied atti-
tude toward a negotiated peace de-
, spite the reiterated demands for un-
conditional surrender.