GESTAPO RULES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 April 1941, Page 10

GESTAPO RULES

THE POSITION IN ITALY VEIL LIFTED. AMERICAN CORRESPONDENT’S STORY. A rigid ban on the despatch of news from Italy has so far enabled the Duce to conceal the stages by which he has let the Nazis seize his controls. A neutral journalist must get well away from the Axis frontiers before he can say what he knows. Thus, no really detailed accounts of shift of power in Italy was published until the end of March, when the Rome correspondent of the “Christian Science Monitor” went home to Boston and told the story. Here are some extracts from his narrative: “ ... . When I left Italy late in February the revolution was already over and had been won by the Germans They staged an ‘occupation’ by introducing political advisers, Government specialists, and economic co-ordinators. . . . All through Italy’s military collapse the Gestapo went cooly on, placing men in one guise or another in Italian Ministries. . . . With the Germans assuming control wholesale, a purge took place among Fascist officials. The zealous patriot type—the man who was potentially if not actually anti-German | —found that' he had resigned and was enlisted for immediate active duty at the front. Men who were not of the unthinking youthful militant type were supplanted by men whlo were Power came to the Germans by default. Under the shock of the defeat in Libya the wheels of Government came almost to a standstill. The Duce shut himself away. Merely by staying at their posts the Germans had moved in The Italians for the most part were too busy with the war to see what was taking place, and those who did see said they were powerless to do anything Basically, Mussolini is a practical man. Even before he left Rome he was becoming more fanatically pro-German than ever before. He was hoping to salvage his position in this way.”

SUPPRESSING THE TRUTH. There were no violent protests at the ruthless elimination of patriots. The few who dared to speak were at once suppressed. Marshall Badoglio (who is not-a party member and who stands in the eyes of the ordinary Italian for a pre-Fascist soldier of proven integrity) tried to shout his warning to the nation: “It may be permissable to count on the aid of an eventual ally, but it is not wise to count as well on every possible assistance from him. An error of this sort may bring about consequences of historical magnitude.” But the issue of “La Tribune,” which carried this -indictment was abruptly withdrawn before more than a handful of copies had been sold. Meanwhile the rank and file were instructed to stop grumbling. “Their role,” said the authorities, “was to turn the handle of the war machine and to keep mum. We demand from every Italian work and silence—much work and little talk. The good Fascist is he who is able to work harder and say less. Hence every critic will be very severely punished. Our leniency is exhausted.” (Federal Secretary of the Fascist Party at Trieste, March 1, 1941). “AXIS COLLABORATION.”

Doubts as the altruism of the Nazis which crept into a few discerning minds were dispelled with bravado: “There still exist scrupulous people who fear that perhaps Germany does not sufficiently take into consideration Italy's past and present effort. If they are sincere, let them cease to worry. Our Ally is aware of and fully appreciates Italy’s war effort as a whole and in no way tries to minimise it merely because during’ a particularly difficult period of war Italian arms have suffered a few setbacks." (Rome radio February 26, 1941). Germany can well afford to. let the Italians preen themselves upon being ,equai partners in an invincible combination. She has prevented an internal collapse in Italy; she has made sure that the Italian worker will continue to make arms for her and that the Italian soldier will continue to give up his life on .her behalf. Only at home does she speak her real mind: "Germany’s war potential has enormously increased since Italy’s entry into war. The Fuehrer is in sole command.” (Dr. Funk, March 5, 1941). THE ONLY WAY OUT.

Is there for the Italian any escape from the grip of this hated intruders? The last word on this subject lies with the latest eyewitness—again the correspondent of the “Christian Science Monitor” (March 31): “ . . . Italy’s

chief centre of power today is not, as the outside world , imagines, in the hands of troops, but of Himmler’s secret police. In the event of any rebellion the Gestapo would strike first.” Rome, though seething .with resentment, is powerless in the Nazi strangle hold, and until German land power receives a reverse on the Continent it is fated to remain so.

Italians for their deliverance must look in the same direction as other occupied territories.