ITALY’S MOTIVE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 121, 20 April 1940, Page 7

ITALY’S MOTIVE

ANTI-BRITISH ATTACKS. SPECULATION-IN PRESS. t MUSSOLINI WARNED. (United Press Association—B.y Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Britisn Uflicial wireless.) Received April 20, 9.06 a.in. ItUGBY, April 19. The Press gives growing attention to the anti-Britisli tone of the' Italian Press and in particular to the complete misrepresentation of the news of the recent naval engagements. The Daily Telegraph’s Rome correspondent, answering the question, “Where does Italy stand?” which was asked by the Minister of Economic Warfare (Mr R. Cross) in his speech on Wednesday, says: “Differential treatments of the news and its presentation in a way to suggest that one side is constantly triumphant and the other reeling under one blow after another from the adversary are doubtless to be accounted lor by the fact that Italy does not consider herself to be a neutral country. Rather does she regard herself as an ally of the enemy of Britain, France, Poland, and Norway.” The Daily Mail says in an editorial: “Perhaps the Italian newspaper campaign against Britain is designed to help Hitler by diverting our attention from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean. If this is really so, the manoeuvre tailed before it began. Mr Churchill has reminded the world that the Allied Navies arc strong enough to fight successfully in Norway and at the same time control the Mediterranean. The odds T.ave swung even more in our favour since nearly half the German fleet was put out of action. “Or perhaps Italy is firing warning shots in the Press to .prevent the Allies marching into the Balkans. Britain and France have no intention of doing so unless Germany marches first. Not one of these States, said Mr Chamberlain yesterday, has any cause to fear that the Allies or their forces will ever threaten their independence or integrity.’ The Yorkshire Post urges: We must make it very clear that Italy will be unable to take action against Yugoslavia or any other Balkan nation without * finding herself > immediately opposed by the Allies. Signor Mussolini is well aware that war with 33ritain would be heartily disliked by very many Italians. “We must let it he unmistakably known both in Italy and the Balkans that if Signor Mussolini asks for trouble we have the power and the will to meet his folly with swirt,

crushing blows.”