Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1944-03-31
WNU Service, Union Trust Building
Washington, D. C.

WNU Service, Union Trust Building
Washington, D. C.
How can the Allied governments,
the Allied armies, sworn to defend
the cause of democracy, continue to
deal with Italy's Fascist king and
Marshal Badoglio and refuse to rec
ognize the anti-Fascist conference of
political parties recently organized
at meeting held in Bari, Italy?
The so-called "junta of the Com
mittees of Liberation" named fol-
lowing the Bari conference, tele-
graphed to members of the British
house of commons message which
contained this passage:
Here Fascism, at first confused
and fearful, has taken courage. 1t
has assumed mask and has rallied
around the crown. Affecting a
friendship which is too recent to be
sincere, it has attempted to diStort
the judgment of your political and
military officials. Once more OPP
pressing our people as it has al
ways done, it is putting all manner
of legal and illegal obstacles in the
way of any genuine popular initia-
tive which tries to render more eff
cient and serious the contribution of
liberated Italy to the war against
the Germans"
Addressing the Bari conference,
Italian Sen. Benedetto Croce had
said:
at is fact that the waning pres
tige of the king and the lack of
confidence in him prevent the king
himself from rallying an Italian
army; he himself, fearing the oppo-
sition against his person, has pro-
hibited the formation of an army of
volunteers. Many young men who
came to me from German-occupied
territory full of enthusiasm were
forced to disband, disappointment
in their hearts, because they did not
find anyone to rally them and give
them the opportunity to fight"
Those statements seem fortnight
and fair. After reading them, was
not surprised when a fairly impor-
tant but not fairly" informed per-
son said to me:
1.-THE Allies are lined up with the
Fascists in Italy. Is that what we
are fighting fort"
That seems to me a typical atti-
tude, and one that the average man
reflects when he considers the So
called ideals" the American gov
eminent has made, the arrangement
with Darlan in North Africa, for in
stance. Think of the abuse heaped
upon the state department in that
case-the deluge of fiery liberal"
criticism at home and in England,
the wrath of De Gaulle and the rest
of the French anti-Vichyites.
Bitter Reaction
And then, when on the tenth of
last month it was announced that
our famed AMG, the carefully
trained, objective military govern
ment provided by the Allies, who
had taken over the civilian admins
tration of liberated Italy, had turned
over the government in these prov
inceS from which the Germans had
been driven, to the Badoglio govern
ment, what deluge of bitter and
cynical comment was hurled at the
Allied leaders.
Is there any explanation? Can
there be any excuse for the United
States government, loudly anti-Fas-
cist and violently against all forms
of totalitarian government, playing
ball with the little king and his satel-
lites who danced to the tune of Mus
solini?
Well, there is another side but be-
cause of the delicacy of the situation,
1t cannot be set forth officially.
l am permitted to state it without
attribution, quoting no source, but
assuring you, that to the best of my
knowledge and belief, it represents
the reasons behind the policy of the
Allied leaders.
First let me quote from the guard
ed remarks of Winston Churchill be-
fore the house of commons in Feb
ruary:
1.-The SaneSt and safest course for
US to follow is to judge all parties
and factions dispassionately by the
test of their readiness and ability to
fight the Germans and thus tighten
the burden of Allied troops. This is
not a time for theological prefer
ences for one side or the other, and
certainly, we, His Majesty's govern
ment, have not INDUCED ourselves in
this way at all"
And he might have added, the
American government, the Ameri-
can army, is equally uninterested in
ldeologies.