ITALY AND ALLIES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 178, 26 June 1940, Page 3

ITALY AND ALLIES

ANNIVERSARY OF ENTRY INTO WAR ADROIT PRESS COMMENT Rome's beflagged streets and monuments, celebrating the anniversary of Italy's entry into the war of 1914-18, necessitated adroit Italian press comment. The all of which obvously inspired by the same some?, argue that Italy's assistance to the Allies then was necessary for protection against the menace of the Habsburgs. No newspapers mention Italy's syxnpathy for Belgium, which was the original main professed season, "Our then Government's errors were unfortunate." says the Messaggero. "Our representatives did not allow Italy to derive proper and adequate beenlits from the victory." The Messaggero goes on to declare that the bad faith and treachery of the Allies augmented the importance of these errors. The Popolo c'l Roma declares that the celebrations harmonise perfectly with Italy's present policy. "Italians experienced the hardness, miserliness and pitilessness of the Western Democracies; consequently they are now alongside Ger many through the need to secure all the nation's natural rights." Mr Sato, a former Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs, who is the head of a Japanese mission in Rome, handed to Signor Mussolini a message from the Premier of Japan, Admiral Ronai, thanking the Fascist Government for its friendly attitude to Japan throughout the winin China, and prophesying closer Italo-Japnnese collaboration. The message declares that Japan was watching with profound and interested sympatic "Italy's nob If efforts, all inflamed by the sacred (ire of justice and patriotism," and concludes by wishing Italy "corn plete success."