APATHY & CYNICISM

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 November 1943, Page 4

APATHY & CYNICISM

WIDESPREAD IN ITALY REGARDING POLITICAL PROBLEMS. PROPOSALS OF ANTI-FASCIST LEADERS. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) LONDON, November 2. Commenting on Marshal Badoglio s moves to form a new Government, the correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain in southern Italy reports that Count Sforza, backed by Dr. Croce and the National Liberation Front, which includes Italy’s six political parties, are all opposed to King Victor Emmanuel, because, they say, his close link with Mussolini has left him tainted with Fascism. While members of the National Liberation Front prefer a republic. Count Sforza and Dr. Croce stated that they would not oppose the creation of a Regency for the six-year-old son of Crown Prince Umberto, but they would decline to consider Umberto or the new Duke of Aosta as Regent.

A soecial correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” in Naples states that, while the tide of Fascism has receded from Italy and is dead as an active political force, there is no simple, clear-cut solution of the nation’s difficulties. He says the Italian political parties are totally ineffective in the face of the new situation and the immense and formidable apathy and cynicism with which the Italians of all classes now regard politics and political issues. This means that Italian political leaders are not competent to lead and the. Italian people are not interested in following. He says that nobody, including Marshal Badoglio, rose to the occasion when Mussolini fell. When the various parties united to map out an elaborate programme of sabotage and set out for the provinces full of hone to carry firebrands through Italy, they soon returned disillusioned, for nowhere could they find any zeal among the people to fight for or against anyone or anything. The correspondent comments that what is most remarkable is the apparent indifference of sections of the population to Germans and British alike._ There is not the slightest difference in the population’s attitude toward the Germans and the Allies.

Current events are discussed chiefly from the viewpoint of their effect on prices.

A London diplomatic correspondent says that the position of the Allied Governments has been made clear by the Moscow declaration. The Italian Government must be a democratic one, but how the Italians achieve this is a matter for themselves. Whatever the new Government may be, says the correspondent, it will have to abide by the original armistice terms.