Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-07-27
Text of ChurchiTs Speech on Italian Situation
Advises Letting Nation Stew in Its Own Juice While
by the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
- LONDON. July 27.-The text OF
Prime Minister Churchill's address
sin the House of Commons today:
: The House will have heard with
satisfaction of the downfall of one
'of the principal criminals of this
tdesolating war. The end of Musso-
lini's long and severe reign over the
italian people undoubtedly marks
the close of an epoch in the life Of
Italy. The keystone OF the Fascist
arch has crumbled, and without at
tempting to prophesy, it does not
seem unlikely that the entire
Fascist ediflce will fall to the ground
in ruins If 1t has not already so
fallen.
The totalitarian system of a single
party armed with secret police-en-
crossing to itself practically all
Offices even the humblest in the
government, and with the magis-
trates and the courts under control
of the executive. with its whole net
work of domestic spies and neigh
borly informants-such a system
when applied over a long period of
time, leaves the broad masses with
out any influence on their country S
destinies and without any indie
ipendent figures apart from the off,
,cial classes.
! This. I think. is defense for
! the people of Italy-one defense;
although there can be no really
valid defense for any people which
allows its freedom and inherent
rights to pass out of its own hands.
Unable to Forecast
Changes Due in Italy.
Now the external shock Of war
has broken the spell which in Italy
held all those masses In a fog for
so long-in fact, for more than 20
years-and held them for all this
period in physical. and even more,
In moral subsection.
We may therefore reasonably ex-
pect that very great changes will
take place in Italy. What their
form will be or how they will i'm
pinge upon the forces of German
occupation and control 1t is too
early to forecast.
The guilt and folly of Mussolinl
have cost the Italian people dear.
It looked so safe and easy In May.
1910, to stab falling France in the
back and advance to appropriate
the Mediterranean interests and
possessions Of what Mussolini no
doubt sincerely believed was a de-
cadent and ruined Britain. 1t looked
so safe and easy to fall upon the
much smaller state of Greece. But,
however, there have been undecep-
tons. Events have taken a differ
ent course.
BY many hazardous turns of for
tune and by long marches OF des-
tiny, British and United States
armies. having occupied the Italian
African empire. the north OF Africa,
and the great bulk OF Sicily, now
stand at the portals of the Italian
mainland. armed with the powers of
the sea and of the air, and very
large land and amphibious forces
equipped with every modern weapon
and device. What is it, Mr.. Speaker
that these masterful forces bring tc.
Italy Sir, they bring, II the Italian
people so decide, relief from war,
freedom and servitude, and after an
interval, respectable place in
new and rescued Europe.
Desire Of Italians
For Freedom Shown.
When I learned of the scenes
that were enacted in the streets of
the fine city Of Palermo on the entry
of the United States armies, and
when I reviewed mass of detailed
information with which I had been
furnished, I cannot doubt that the
main wish of the italian people Is
to be quit of their German task
masters. to be spared further and
perfectly futile ordeal of destruction
and to revive their former demo-
cratic and parliament institutions.
These they can have. The choice
Is in their hands. And what is the
alternative? The Germans natu-
rally desire that Italy shall become
a battle-ground, preliminary bat
tleground. and that by Italian sui =
ferlngs the ravages of war shall be
kept as far away as possible, for as
long as possible, from the German
fatherland.
If Italian government and people
choose that the Germans are to
have their way. no choice is left
open to us. We shall continue to
make war upon Italy from every
quarter north and south, and from
the sea and from the air, and by
amphibious descents we shall also
endeavor to bring the utmost rigor
Of war increasingly upon them.
Orders to this effect have been
given to all Allied commanders con-
cerned. A decision by the italian
government and people to continue
under German yoke will not affect
seriously the general course of the
war; still less will it alter its ulti-
N''VS ANSoiVo. IlC oilly SOIlSeQue1lCe
will be that in the next few months
Italy will be scared and Scared
and blackened from one end to the
other.
Sees Several Steps
In Transition Period.
I know little or nothing of the
new government. I express no
opinion upon 1t, but it is obvious
that SO far as their own people are
concerned they have very impor-
ta1t decision to make. Meanwhile
I am anxious that the various
processes by which this decision is
reached shall be allowed to run
their course under no other pres
sure than that of relentless war
This operation may we'll take some
time.
There may be several stages OF
transition. Past experience shows
that in cases of great change OF
heart and character in the govern
ment of nation, very often one
stage is rapidly succeeded by an.
other. I cannot tell.
So far we have had no approaches