The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1943-06-25
ITALIAN POLICE.
UNUSUALLY BUSY.
1900 Seized in MussO-
Iini'S Attempt to Smash
Potential 5th Column
BY J. EDWARD MURRAY
United Press Staff Correspondent

London, June 25.-(UP)-Premie
Mussolini's secret police have seized
l1,150 persons in the past week in a
determined campaign to stamp out
a potential Italian fifth column in
advance OF any allie. invasion.
European advices said today.
The chief of police organization,
the OVRA, was understood TO have
informed Mussolini that the arrests
were absolutely necessary" in view
of the grave threat of allied land
ings. He asked that the OVRA be
permitted gr alter severity in deal
ing with the possible dissident ele-
mentS.
Some 1900 of those arrested were
identified as Communists and the
remaining $3.50 were labelled simply
nti-FascistS" but were known to
include number of so-called sep
aratists", principally from Dalmatia
and Southern Tyrol.
Senator Giovanni Gentle, broad
casting over Rome radio, appealed
TO the populace to conquer ali
temptation OF coWardice" and de-
nounced Italians who contend that
this was not their war. Other re-
ports reaching London indicate that
italians who failed to support the
Axis war effort would be deprived of
their food and clothing ration books.
The Italian efforts to bolster
shaky morale Oil the home front
were accompanied by these develop
mentS pointing toward impending
action:
radio London said two more
German divisions have arrived in
Italy to assist in defending its coast.
2.-Radio Berlin rcOorted that the
largest British naval concentration
in recent Months, including six
battleships, two aircraft carriers, 90
smaller WarShips and about 10 mer
chant ships, either had passed
through Gibraltar Strait or had an
chored in Gibraltar Harbor in the
past few days. Two of the battle
ships, the 35,000-ton King George V
and the Howe, were said to have
sailed into the Mediterranean early
Will al CotOl vi
stroyers and torpedo boats.
"a German military mission is
inspecting Axis defenses in Bulgaria
ard will go from there to Thrace to
inspect Greek coastal defenses. 1tal-
ian occupation forces were reported
building new forts near Salonika.
Information reaching Madrid from
France said considerable apprehen-
sion was apparent in Axis circles
over possible Allied operations in
the Eastern Mediterranean.
A British broadcast said a
complete Greek army of about 30, 900
men is among the large Allied forces
concentrated in Syria for an assault
on Southern Europe.
5.--Radio London urged 800 900
French railWaymen to destroy their
locomotives and disorganize the en-
tire French railroad system at the
zero hour for an Allied invasion.
6.-The military correspondent of
the German transocean agency said
that Allied preparations for an at
tack in the Mediterranean have
reached the eliminating point
Mussolini presided over a meeting
of the Fascist party directorate at
the Palazzo Venezia in Rome last
night and heard a report from the
party secretary, Carlo Scorza, that
Indicated some disaffection among
party members.
Scorza told the directorate that
party rolls continue large despite
measures taken against some former
members and despite those who
don't feel like renewing their men,
bership.