PROBLEMS FOR ITALY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 September 1939, Page 5

PROBLEMS FOR ITALY

FEARS OF WAR REACHING BALKANS DESIRE TO REMAIN NEUTRAL. SPECULATION RANGES WIDELY. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright. NEW YORK, September 18. The Rome correspondent of the. “New York Times” states that Italy has so steeled her neutrality that even the Russian invasion of Poland is without the slightest outward--effect, yet it is certain that this move has added to the country’s grave anxieties regarding its ability to remain neutral, for it now seems clear that the war will quickly reach the Balkans. Already it is reported on good authority that the Germans are -massing troops on the border of Slovakia and Rumania, and it would not be surprising if Rumania were invaded very shortly. It is now taken for granted in Italy that England and France will declare war on Russia, and it is also felt that Turkey will find very grave difficulties in maintaining her alliance with England. It is nighly doubtful that even a Russo-German invasion of Rumania, with the Soviet seizing Bessarabia, would alter Italy’s firm decision to stay out of the war. The correspondent says that if and when Yugoslavia and Hungary are brought into the ever-widening flood of war Italy’s position would be extraordinarily difficult. It is against every historical tradition that Italy would countenance German and Russian penetration of the Balkans, but the fact remains that the Axis is still in official existence, and it is inconceivable that Italy would attack Germany. Now that the Italians feel that the Russian move represents another bitter blow to the Allies and do not see how they are going to wage war against the Soviet, they see virtually the whole European Continent except France either at war with the Allies or helplessly neutral, and believe that the Allies are now going to face the gigantic if not hopeless task of blockading the whole Continent.