Mussolini's Memoirs On Fascist Fall

Chronicle (Levin), 9 December 1949, Page 5

Mussolini's Memoirs On Fascist Fall

Received Thursdav, 7 p.m. LONDON, Dee. 7. Descrihed as "an outstanding scrap hook of the deeline and fall of the Fascist Empire," the memoirs of 5Mussolini have ,iust been published. They are a mxed colleeton of docu.ments, ineludiug a number of annonymous artieles by Mussolini used by a Milan newspaper in the middle of 1944. Later these artieles were published as a hook, in which Mussolini snoke of himself in the third person. NoW the narrative has been piit in the first person, by an English editor. The aeeount given of Mussolini's meeting with the King of Ttalv after fhe Fascist Grand Council had voted the Duce out of power, reads: "When we had entered the drawlngroom, the King, in a state of abnormal agitation and with his features distorted, said, elippiri'g liis words:. 'My dear Duce, it is no longer any good. Italy has gone to bits. The morale of the armv is at rock bottom. The soldiers don't want to fight any more. The alpine regiments are singing a song which says thev don't want to make war'on Mussolini's aeeount any longer, You can cerlainlv be under no illusion as to Italy 's feelings with regard to yourself. At this moment you are the most-hated nian in Ttalv. You can no longer sount on more than one friend. You have one friend left yoti, and T am he. That is why I tell you that you ueed have no fears for your nersonal safetv, for which T will ensure protection. I have been thinking that the man for the .job now is Marshal Badoglio. ' "It was exaetlv 5.20 p.m. when the King accompanied me to the door. His face was livid and he looked smaller than ever — almost dwartish. He shoolc my hand and went in aeain. I descended the few steps and went towards my car."