HITLER & JACKAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 May 1942, Page 3

HITLER & JACKAL

MEETING IN AUSTRIA REPORTS OF “COMPLETE AGREEMENT.” DUCE ON SOME DISTURBING FACTS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, May 1. It is announced that Hitler and Mussolini met at Salzburg, in Austria and discussed the war situation, in which they were in complete accord. They renewed expressions of their firm determination that the defeat of Great Britain and the Allied Nations was assured. The Japanese military attache in Berlin has left for Rome to confer with Mussolini. All Italian radio stations broadcast a report of Mussolini's speech to 98 provincial prefects, in which he said Italy’s difficulties were due to natural increase in the population, the army’s food requirements, and help granted to the peoples of occupied territories, together with difficulties of import and transport, and last year’s unsatisfactory harvest, which necessitated cutting down the rations to a minimum, particularly bread. “There are other disturbing reasons —lack of discipline and individual fraud,” Mussolini said. “These cases will be inexorably punished.” Mussolini explained how rationing would be tightened further, and the race to purchase property stopped. He declared’ that the recruitment of labour must be subject to the same laws as military mobilisation. He announced a plan for tighter national control, which is remarkably like Hitler’s. SECURELY HELD ITALY IN MISERABLE SERVITUDE. BUT POSSIBILITIES OF REVOLT REMOTE. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 30. Reports reaching London from neutral sources of the serious internal situation in Italy, with high-ly-coloured pictures of the possible downfall of Mussolini, and his replacement by Marshal Badoglio, are heavily discounted here in ’well-informed quarters. There is no doubt that the heart of Italy is not in- the war, and that morale is at a low ebb, but the possibility of this crystallising into genuine opposition to the present regime appears very remote. The reports mentioned may even | have emanated from Nazi sources for some obscure reason. This appears all the more likely when it is realised that the Germans have a stranglehold over the entire country. Keypoints of defence are held by the Germans, who have many divisions in the country. Italy has also been brought into everincreasing economic dependence, and the population must realise that' alliance is only another term for servitude. ( INVITATION TO ATTEND APPARENTLY EXPECTED BY JAPANESE. (Received This Day, 10.50 a.m.) NEW YORK, May 1. The Tokio radio stated that Lieuten-ant-General Kazuyoshi Sakaishi, Military Attache to the Japanese Embassy in Berlin, departed yesterday for Rome, expecting to confer with Mussolini. Lieutenant-General Hiroshi Oshima, Ambassador to Germany, arrived yesterday at Munich. On the basis of this announcement the Japanese apparently expected to attend the meeting between Hitler and Mussolini.