ITALY WITHIN

Grey River Argus, 8 June 1943, Page 5

ITALY WITHIN

FRONT LINE CONDITIONS Severe Austerity Drive [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] - LONDON, June 6. Reports reaching Switzerland state that Italians are now living under front line conditions. A severe austerity drive has been organised. It is reported that the Italian I ood Ministry has suspended all exports oi food to the Reich, and has also ordered 50 per cent, reduction in the canning factories’ output as the result oi the grave food shortage, especially at Rome, where no shipments of vegetables and fruit have been received since last Sunday. The crisis seems countrywide, however, as the farmers refuse to sell products, except at the black market, where prices are skyrocketing. x ~ ~ Rome is stated to be without truit and vegetables, owing to overburdening trains conveying troops and supplies. n „ Mussolini, according to the Rome radio, decided to court martial workers in area's exposed to air-raids who desert jobs and seek sanctuary elsewhere. „ , Measures of the past few weeks suggest a Fascist Party purge is likely so that should a popular revolt break out, no anti-Fascist or neutral elements within the Party, should endanger its existence. A German spy has been executed in Italy. Rome radio reported that a military tribunal tried a' German and two other citizens on a charge oi passing political and military information to the enemy'’. The German was sentenced to death and the other accused received a life sentence and 30 years’ imprisonment, respectively. It is reported that Fascist leaders are taking measures to meet the military and political crisis. Reuter’s Madrid correspondent quotes the Italian newspaper “Relazioni Internationale” as saying: Italy will be defended to the bitter end. We shall not surrender. Italy, m her trench, stakes her dignity and honour alike.” . , . Many Italians were imprisoned because they attempted to organise entertainments. As an example to the country, the Rome broadcaster cited the courage of Pantellaria’s garrison. “Pantellaria is one of the most forward ramparts of Italy’s defences, and a symbol of the tenacity of Italians.

Enemy Ships

SUNK BY BRITISH SUBMARINES

RUGBY, June 6.

British submarines in the Mediterranean have sunk at least five enemy ships. An Admiralty' communique states: One submarine surfaced off Calvi,' northern Corsica, and bombarded an enemy airfield. Shore defence batteries were ineffective. in the Straits of Bonifacio, separating Corsica and Sardinia, two small supply vessels were intercepted by a submarine and sunk. A torpedo hi f on a naval auxiliary of the anti-sub-marine type, lying at anchor, at the entrance of Augusta Harbour, Sicily, was followed by a heavy explosion, as the vessel blew up. At Cattcfnia Bay Sicily, a large supply ship was ■torpedoed, and last seen stopped down by. the stern. Another submarine, engaged in harassing the enemy’s coastal shipping torpedoed and sank a supply vessel of large size near the Gulf of Policastro, Italy. In the same area, a small ship was sunk by gunfire. Off the Riviera, near Monte Carlo, a medium-sized tanker was sunk and in the Gulf of Genoa, two torpedo hits were probably scored on a large supnlv ship, strongly escorted. Enemy counter-measures prevented observation of the full results.

Allied Air Blitz

ITALIANS IN DESPERATION LONDON, June 6. Rome radio stated: “In order to match the atavistic efficiency ofMhear ■British cousins and to fall m witnine Customs of their Redskin compatriots, the Americans decided to employ Negro flying officers for terror raids ovainst Europe. It also claimed in one breath that the Axis forces commanded the Mediterranean, and in the next breath, that Allied air-raids Txzmild worse. “Axis air foiCco Continue to maintain effective control over the Mediterranean waters. Enenhv air forces, however continue Kised raids Y «i„sl pantellarg Sarfiinia and Calabria. me riinisn American bombing is onlv helping to unite the Italians. Every fallen wall is one more reason tor the Italians to resist, no matter whar. m italian P radios. kept up a stream of abuse about Allied air attacks and

warned listeners to be ready tor something worse. Many stations claimed the Allies attacked only churches, villages, and homes.

Laws of Humanity ADVOCATED FOR BLITZ ON ITALY. BY ANGLICAN BISHOP. RUGBY, June 5. “The bombing of Rome would be a crime against civilisation, a betrayal of the very things for which we are fighting,” said the Bishop of Lichfield (Dr. E. £?. Woods). He added: Any military advantage we might gain thereby would not counter the moral damage to our cause throughout the world.

“The air onslaught we are now making against the enemy is an inevitable part of modern war and I trust that our policy will continue to be one in which our air attack is directed against every kind of war activity and war potential and never directly and deliberately against civilian homes. It is inevitable and deeply 1 regrettable that civilians by thousands must have lost their lives. I nevertheless think that there is a moral distinction between attacking civilians directly and the multifarious war activities in which they are employed in dock or factory and on road or rail. ~ , “I can never forget Warsaw, Rotterdam. and Belgrade. I also know that enemy air activity against Britain at present is directed almost entirely against civilians. However,. I think it would be a major moral disaster if, after enduring so splendidly thus far during the war, we allowed ourselves to become callous and complacent about death and destruction. SWEDES LEAVING ROME. (Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, June '(. The Rome correspondent of the Stockholm newspaper “Dagens Nyiieter” reports that the Swedish Legation in Rome has advised Swedish nationals to evacuate the city.