Imperial Valley press., 1943-09-08
.FDR, Churchill
Hear Great News
Continued from Page u

had laid down the general terms of
Italian capitulation - terms con-
sonant with the unconditional
surrender" formula announced at
Casablanca-but had left him with
relatively free hand to deal with
Italian offers.
AT the war department the news,
packed with portents as the most
tremendous single break in the
Axis war front to date. was received
with official silence for the time
being.
Military observers. however, were
quick to recognize the thus-far un-
paralleled opportunities now opened
up for the Allied forces under
Eisenhower.
1t appeared likely that Italian
capitulation had long been known
to be inevitable and that the
British Eighth army's assault upon
the toe of Italy was designed to
spur Italian leaders to surrender
with honor" 1t had been pointed
out that the Italians could hardly
be expected to give up until the
homeland had been invaded.
RAPID OCCUPATION
War department observers be-
lieved that the Italian surrender
will lead to rapid occupation of at
least a substantial portion OF the
Italian peninsula.
The Germans, however, may be
expected to oppose completed
Anglo American domination OF
italy. There have been indications
that they will undertake to hold a
line somewhere in northern Italy,
despite the collapse of their erst-
while Allies.
The Germans may try to hold the
Pc river valley and may attempt to
establish a line in the Appenine
mountains across Italy in the region
of Florence. European sources re-
Gently have reported the with
draWal of German forces into
northern italy.
In addition OF giving the Allies
a tremendous advantage in land
and air fighting, the Italian sur
render will remove the last poten-
tial threat-inherent in continued
existence of the italian fleet as
fighting force-to Allied DONNA
ton of the Mediterranean. the
fleet comprises about 100 vessels
all of which, however, are not III
for sea duty.
The surrender also appeared to
advance the day Of all-out conti-
mental operations against Germany
itself. Gen. George G. Marshall
U. S. army chief of staff, and Ad-
miral Ernest J. King, chief OF naval
operations. were in the White House
when the news from North Africa
arrived.
The italian collapse brought to
the fore again the question of Benz
to Mussolini's whereabouts and the
question of his surrender, as war
criminal, to the United Nations
The United States, Great Britain
and Russia have warned neutral
nations not to give sanctuary to
MuSSolini or other Axis leaders.
Whether the terms of Italian sur
render dealt with the fate of the
erstwhile Fascist dictator was not
known.
Another question yet to be re-
solved it would appear, is the des-
tiny of Italian troops in the Balk-
ans, where thousands of them had
been on Axis police duty, and OF
such Italian forces as may have
been engaged against Russia. The
Germans, it seemed likely, will at
tempt to disarm any Italian SOL
diers not willing to go on fighting
now that their mother country has
cried quits.
In Greece and Jugoslavia, guer-
rilla patriots may be expected to
rally against their enemies with
renewed fur. JugoSlav Ambassador
Constantin Fotitch said 1taly'S sur
render means that "the day of
Jugoslav's liberation approaches. y
The news, he said, will electrify
into action 100000 Yugoslav patriots
who have been waiting for this
moment.
Possession of southern and GEN.
tral Italy will give the Allies bases
for invasion of the Balkans and
for intensification of the air wal
against Germany. The Allied bomb
er line, observers pointed out, will
be moved much closer to German
home industries and resources.
Recent authoritative estimates
place the number of Italian divi.
sions in the Balkans at from 2:
to 80, as compared with IL to Il
divisions. Axis forces in Europe al
told were estimated at around 30t
German divisions, 10 Italians divi.
sions, and go divisions of variou.
satellite countries. Thus the defec.
ton of Italy will represent a los.