“OUT WITH THE GERMANS!”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 September 1943, Page 4

“OUT WITH THE GERMANS!”

BADOGLIO’S BROADCAST TO ITALIANS. FIRM RESISTANCE ENJOINED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.10 a.m) RUGBY, September 20. Marshal Badoglio’s broadcast to the Italian nation today is welcomed in London. Marshal Badoglio said: “After three years of struggle, Italy has concluded an armistice because the war was imposed on Italy by the Germans without taking into account our interest, and it cost us only hard sacrifices. We must resist firmly the German occupation. Remember you must see in every German an enemy. Remember it is a crime to let yourselves be disarmed. Remember that men who are well guided can hold a much superior force. Remember that when troops form one solid block and form one force they are invincible. Remember that it is up to our troops and population to carry on a terrible guerilla warfare, to go into woods, cut communications. blow up bf-idges and stores, destroy their material and cut off isolated men. Above all, do not give in and do not lose heart. Hold on! Keep this in mind today: Resistance means existence. To achieve the just and lasting peace which we desire, and which the British and Americans will give us, and which the Germans want to deny us, this trial must be faced and overcome. We shall overcome it. “We cannot allow the Germans to treat our country as occupied territory, destroy our towns and drag our brothers and sisters away to Germany. We cannot allow the Germans to loot our hemes, steal our property, kill our soldiers and workers, and insult our women. So much blood has been shed in this war, which was willed by the Germans and waged by them exclusively in their interests, that we cannot allow themselves to be looked upon and treated as slaves today. There is only one order of the day for all of us, ‘Out with the Germans!’ How dare the Germans speak of honour when they deserted our divisions on the Don, in Libya, Tunisia and Calabria? The British and Americans, old comrades in arms, have not hesitated to declare that their ultimate aim is the resurrection of a strong and united Italy.” The Italian Minister to Dublin, in a statement, said the Italian Minister and staff in the Dublin Legation had reaffirmed their allegiance to King Victor Emmanuel and loyalty to his Government.