The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-02-21

The Germans have 1Ound what the Russians discovered at Lenin- grad and Stalingrad, and what the Spaniards in their civil war dem- onstrated at Madrid - that 8 modern city is a natural fortress which can be defended for months. Rome may share the same fate.
 The U. s. Army didn't say any, thing about it for several weeks, but they had trouble with the Casino monastery long before they bombed it. The Nazis had discovered it to be natural for tress.
 That section of Italy is chopped up into steep chunks of moun- tains, staring down almost sheer walls to the valleys. The mon- astery sits aStride the mountain passes, SO thatt he Nazis' big guns inside 1t could break up an AL lied advance from at elaSt two di- rections. It was impossible to by-pass.
 U. s. war chiefs have been
 deeply worried over the reaction of the Catholic world not only to
 the bombing of the Benedictine monastery but also to the pros
 pect of a battlefield being made
 of the streets of Rome. Their
 worry is not so much regard
 ing the people of Italy but the
 outside world.
 In this connection, Professor Gaetano Salvenlini, the famous Italian scholar and anti-Fascist who has lived in this country since 1882 and is now citizen, made some remarks in Washing ton the other day which are be- eing studied. He said that the the Italians themselves were not strong Vatican Catholics. He de- scribec them as devoted to their local sanctuaries and madonnas, said that they invited the local priest into their homes to bless the newborn calf, but that they did not like the Pope and felt no great interest in the Vatican.
 The professor, who himself is noted for his anti-clerical views, said that the real interest in the Vatican came from the Irish, Poles and the French Canadians. He also dropped this remark: "The Pope is powerful, not in Rome, but in the White House."
 Regardless of whether Professor Salvemini is right, U. s. war chiefs are greatly worried about world reaction to bombing Rome, but they are afraid that no more can be done about it than about the Benedictine monastery - if the Nazis decide to use Rome as a na- trlral fortress.
 WASMNGTONS
 FAREWELL ADDRESS
 George Wasllington's Farewell Address will Dc read on the Ssn- ate floor by Senator Ebert D. Thomas of Utah Here are some little-known facts about the fa- nous document dug up by Secrs tary of the Senate Edwin Halsey: The address ccni aims 7,641 words and requires forty-five minutes to read. Contrary to general belief, it was never delivered by Wash . ington, but was printed in Clay pools American Daily Advertis- CT" in Philadelphia, Sept. 19, 1796 After Claypools death, the manuscript was sold at auction in 1850. It was bought by James Lenox for $2,300 and now Is part of the Lenox Library Estate in the New York Public Library Senator Henry Clay offered a resolution for It's purchase by the Government on January 24, 1850. but the manuscript was sold to Lenox while the resolution was still pending.
 SHOE FIGHT
 A hot fight is raging backstage between the WIPE and the OPA over shoe leather. Inside fact is that the shoes you are wear ing are inferior not entirely be- cause the best leather IS right fully being allocated to the armed forces. That is only part of the story.
 Another reason why your shoes