The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1943-08-12
Observations
Mussolini MAY
Have Been First
to See Peril
BY Charles 3 Stewart

Washington Common talk in
Washington diplomatic circles is
thst AIS craftsmanship is eN.
tremeIy hesitant 20 NY Beni'o Mus
solint as war criminal because
such a hearing inevitably would
disclose the fact that he was on
the alet against Na2ism far ahead
- national arrangements at the
les Of the world capitals
The others 10 be sure. claim
credit for turning heartily against
The Huler regime as soon as they
realized what its Fuehfers uiil-
mate purpose was
in The meantime however il AZ.
pears that they had had plenty ~
warnings from n Duce Of which
they might have atailed them
selves soon enough largely 10 have
discounted the danger II they had
taken the Fascis' leader seriously
Before they belatediy realized.
though thar Nlussolini knew wha'
he was talking about he already
was hopelessly committed TO Adolf
The record indicates that he
would NOT have yielded even in
the last analysis hut did not con
slider himself safe in lepulslng all
Nazi o, ertures Longer than he al
ready mad been trying 10 do so.
n The picture presents Bonnie
somewhat overwhelmingly as in
herentlv a friend Of the democra-
{ es and by natural preference, an
enemy Of tolaillaTanlsm II prob
ably does MIN rather more imam
Justice. The assumption is that
he was trying to pick the stronger
side 10 align himself With and cor.
rectIv gambled on the democratic
sroup until completely discouraged
in his attempts to convince them.
In any event. there Is consider.
able evidence in diplomatic rec
ords Of moves made by Benlio, m
Nazisms earlier days when Fas'
cism was pretty well established.
10 put an extinguIsher upon Adolf
developing activities.
Indeed he got a modlCLm Of
help from some quarters but not
enough OF H.
The upshot was that Mussolinj
vas far from prepared for the
showdown when it did come, and
what followed in Italy was sui.
ficient testimony 10 the accuracy
of mis- Judgment that the Nazis
we're The wrong folk for him to
tie up with.
But a least Benito did sense the
Nszi peril
That is more ihsn can he said
for funcuonaries in the foreign Of.
fees he tried TO enlist "a his part.
ners in anticipatory steps 10 fore
stall T.. The eN-Duce. in short
proved himself a much smarter
man than he was assessed as be
ing.
Among notabilities who have ac-
corded him this recognition since
his own countrymen tossed him
into the discard are Maxim Lit
yinoff OF Russia. Prince Rudlger
Won Starhemberg OF Austria and
maybe some Americans and Brit
ons also. II must be somewhat
mortifying 10 expert professionals
like mis- 10 have 10 admit that such
mere self-trained amateur as
Bennie Mnssolini anticipated them
nv couple OF decades in hts pre-
miership He foresaw what was
coming. II hey foresaw II. they
did not say so.
A few explanations might like
wise he in order from Washington
and London.
Why couldn't our diplomacy
have been little better loaded
for bear than IT was when this
outburst popped?
The whole nub is
Mussolini was not out-msnaged.
He could see what was coming
and understood what TO do about
r.
But be could not get the backing
be required. II might have been
worth while to let him have bit
OF H.
He WAS left 10 play 'one hand
though
That is 10 say. he and Adolf were
supposed 10 be partners, but every
body always suspected that Ben
ME was film TANNED by his own
alleged partner, and Bonnie knew