ITALY SIMMERING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 July 1943, Page 3

ITALY SIMMERING

RIOTING SUPPRESSED IN PARTS OF ROME NEW STORY OF MUSSOLINI’S LAST DAYS. BADOGLIO FINDS ARMY READY TO ACT. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) (Received This Day, 9.20 a.m.) LONDON, July 29. The Italian capital is still simmering, says the Stockholm “Dagens Nyheter’s” Berlin correspondent. Tank squadrons yesterday suppressed riots in some of the districts of Rome. Extraordinary police measures were taken, to prevent serious anti-Fascist riots. The entire police corps was mobilised, armed with rifles and machine-guns, and was reinforced by troops. The “Svenska Dagbladet’s” Rome correspondent says Mussolini was overthrown as the result of a conspiracy between Grandi and Badoglio. . Grandi. after learning that Mussolini had agreed to Hitler’s plan to fall back to the River Po line, sought out Badoglio. They secretly conferred with the King, who unhesitatingly accepted their plan, provided the Army agreed. Badoglio thereupon went to Army headquarters, where he found the military leaders already preparing to end the Fascist regime. Grandi had a second audience with the King and persuaded Mussolini to call a meeting of the Fascist Grand Council. _ Grandi and Badoglio established their headquarters on Friday night at the Grand Hotel, to which were summoned important political, financial and. industrial personages. Military chiefs on Saturday morning massed picked troops outside Rome and the troops had moved into the capital before the Grand Council met. Mussolini early on Sunday morning was taken, under escort, to the King. The audience was very short and Mussolini was then sent, under escort, out of Rome.

CONQUEST OF SICILY LIKELY TO BE “MATTER OF DAYS.” IN OPINION OF AMERICAN MINISTER. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.25 a.m.) RUGBY, July 29. The capture of Nicosia by the Americans, and Agira by the Canadians, was announced by the United States Acting Secretary for War, Mr Patterson, in Washington, according to an agency message. Mr Patterson said there was no evidence of diminishing resistance by the force of at least three German mobile divisions and three Italian divisions still holding out. He believed, however, that the campaign

was in its final phase, and that the

island would be completely con-

quered in “not more than a matter

of days.” No peace overtures, formal or informal, had been made to the Allies by the new regime, and unless they offered to surrender the Allies would continue to press the war on Italy with all the vigour of which they are capable, Mr Patterson added. Such a policy might accelerate the speed with which the Italians would try to get out of the war. Mr Patterson disclosed that Mr Stimson (Secretary for War) is now in North Africa.