LAST TO LEAVE ROME

Taranaki Daily News, 30 September 1940, Page 6

LAST TO LEAVE ROME

YOUNG HAWERA STUDENT

EXPERIENCE OF ITALY Last to leave Rome three days before Italy declared war on England and a visitor to Paris five days before the French capital was occupied by the Germans, a young man from Hawera, son of a well known Manawapou Road family wf o has been studying for the priesthood and qualified for his doctorate at the Vatican, returned to New Zealand last week and is spending a short holiday with his parents. He and a fellow New Zealander, an Imperial Airways employee, who offered him the chance of getting back on to British soil before hostilities were declared. +ravelled by train from Rome on the Friday before the Monday on which Italy threw in her lot as one of the Axis Powers. Although they carried no exit papers they were the only two of a trainload of evacuees allowed to cross the FrenchItalian border at Ventimeglia. The others were turned back. From Marseilles the two took an Imperial Airways plane to Paris, where they found the city very much as if no war were in progress, though it was only five days off falling into enemy hands. Croydon was the final leg in the dash from Italy and after a stay in England passage was obtained to New Zealand via Panama. Ovcrtlirow From Within.

The student had spent four years at the Vatican, and during this period had travelled in Italy and throughout southern and northern Germany ar.d came to learn something of the Fascist and Nazi regimes and the points of view of the two peoples. It was felt in sgveral circles, he remarked, that the overthrow of Nazism, if it did not come when Germany's fruitless attack on England was turned to an invasion of Germany herself and the iiberation of the countries of occupation, would come from the very machine Nazism had created to extend the Reich. The speaker referred to the Hitler Youth Movement which was supposed to owe its unswerving loyalty to the Fuehrer but which, because it had been brought into being and developed without traditional ideals or moral objectives was disintegrating within itself.

Embarrassment to Germany. The view that Italy's entry into the war had become a source of embarrassment to Germany rather than assistance was expressed since the British blockade in the Mediterranean had now cut off not only 90 per cent. of Italy's imports which had to pass Gibraltar but also the source of supply of vast quantities of materials re-exported from Italy to Germany. Had France remained the ally of Great Britain. the blow that France was capable of striking at Italy with 1.000.000 men on the frontier would have crippled her. "The Italian people, knew the possibility of war long before hostilities were declared," the speaker continued. "There was even a touch of humour about it all in that, instead of starting on June 1, it was postponed for 10 days or so. I do not know whether the postponement was an actual fact but it was just rumoured that June 1 was 'The Day'."

The position occupied by the Vatican City, some 200 acres in extent, was an interesting one in that its independence as a separate State was ensured by Concordat giving free passage to its dignitaries though the nations around it may be at war. Still a few New Zealanders remained. though most. of the colleges were closed and the students returned to their various countries.

Opinlon of Armed Sirength. Had France struck at Italy the war in that sector of Europe and the Mediterranean would have soon been over. This seenied to be a generall.y held opinion because of the poor impression one gained of the army. While the pick of the armed force on land was undoubtedly the alpini, or alpine troops. the rank and file were not to be relied upon. In the Italian air force, as in the air force the world over, were found the best types of Italians, but they were Hndicapned by planes much out of date comnared with the air strength of other nations. though their bomber machines were up to the standard of some of the best. For the invader Italy presented an easy target while the disruption of her electrified railways would be chaotic for communications. Of the Italian navy little could be said in its favour other than that it was built for speed and had a nuisance value, the destroyers being a good eight knots faster than any of the simiiar types of British vessel. Because of their speed they were thinly armoured and consequently would not stay to engage the enemy in battle. The sailors were not of a type that impressed.