Evening star., 1943-08-01

tihle chain of steel" as Mussolini and
Hitler used to describe their alliance
which was intended to 60 twice around
the world exists no longer
The United Nations will have to fight
henceforth only two separate enemies,
the Nazis and the japanese, who have
no connecting link either physical or
theological From the military point of
view the Italians have not been a worri-
some enemy. Their presence on the side
of the Germans has proved to be bur-
den to the Nazis. Italy was too poor a
country to be able to produce the war
materials she needed. The army could
never fight anybody! When II Duce de-
cided to jump on little Greece because
he figured that an army like his could
easily defeat the small Greek Army he
was defeated. Since the Nazis would not
help him his troops met disaster.
Mussolini's victory against the
French when they lay PROSTATE at the
feet of the Germans did not show off
his men as valiant warriors either. A
French regiment held out for several
days. in the mountain passes of the
Maritime Alps against an Italian force
Tour times their strength until it re-
ceived orders from Vichy to lay down
Its arms and withdraw
Thus while Italy is not an asset to any,
body from military point of view. the
occupation of that country--or possibly
the cooperation OF what is left of the
Italian Army-with the Allies might
facilitate our operations against the
Reich.
Fought Well on Piave,
There has been only one instance when
the Italians fought as we'll as any other
army. That was in 1917 after the dis
aster at Caporetto when reorganized
ltahan divisions, assisted only by small
Allied force, held back and eventually
defeated a numerically superior Ger
man-Austrlan force. They fought for
their own homeland then 1t is con-
celvable that should the Nazis now de-
clde to annex the northern part of Italy
between Venice and Turin to establish
'front.' against an Allied invasion across
the River Pc and the Alps, the Italians
may do as we'll as they did on the Piave
River 26 years ago.
Inc Italians have proved such inefi-
Gent soldiers in the past because they
iought Tor causes in which the rank and
fle OF the people were not interested
The Italians are not imperial minded.
MuSsoiin1 tried to make them so with
speeches and glowing promises He tried
10 make these peace and song-loving
people into fierce warriors and succeeded
Hs much as the owner of Ferdinand the
Bull. The bull of the juvenile rhymes
who had been trained and especially
prepared to be the best in the arena de-
cided when the time for fighting came to
sit down and smell flowers. So did the
Italian people
For more than two decades MussoliYi
tried to instill in the Italians all the
qualities of fighters they never had He
squandered every cent in Italy's treas
ury toward that end. But when the day
came for Italy to enter the bloody bat
tie arena its soldiers preferred to sur
render, and lead a peaceful life in some
prison camp instead of fighting with the
f1erceness Mussolini attempted to instil
into them They were just not interested
IN italy becoming world power and re-
establishing the old Roman Empire.
Not Overoptimistic.
But when stock is being taken OF the
results Of the collapse of Italy. military
men are not indulging in overoptimism
that the war is coming to an end in the
near future
There is no question that the downfall
of Mussolini and Fascism will have some
moral effect on the people of the Reich.
But this effect is not being overestimated
by the Allied general staff. The Ger
mans despised the Italians because they
were poor fighters Nazi military and
civil authorities running that country
are said to have sent desperate reports
TO Berlin about the hopeIessness of their
task. They described their efforts to or
ganize italy on the German pattern of
efficiency and complained bitterly not
only about the venality of the Italian
offlcials-this is well understood in Ger
many where the Nazi officials are not
loath to make money on the side-but
about their lack of initiative and the
little enthusiasm they had for the war.
Az tillS tIiIle IIIcIe ScSulS lllIle llkell-
hood that Germany will shortly, follow
the Italians. Although the Nazi troops
are not what they were in the early
stages of the war there still is a good
deal of fight in them.
This has been illustrated in the Sicilian
campaign. The 7th American Army
commanded by Gen. George Patton. jr.,
was assigned to an area defended almost
exclusively by Italians. The operations
of this army were like military march
There has been some fighting here and
of Gen. Patton was to take care OF the
tens of thousands of Italians who arrived
In droves all ready to be sent to prison
camp.
The 9th British Army under the COM
mand of Gen Bernard Montgomery-the
best the British have in the fleld-waS
assigned to the eastern coast where the
Nazis sent two divisions. Montgomery
was stalled for almost two weeks and
suffered heavy losses because the Nazls
would not give in They fought to the last
although out numbered and lacking the
air protection that had been used in
their previous European campaigns.
Real Fight 10 Come.
If the battle for Sicily is to be taken as
yardstick of the Naz resistance against