“VERY GRAVE”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 November 1943, Page 3

“VERY GRAVE”

ITALIAN POLITICAL SITUATION ACCORDING TO DR. CROCE. FEARS OF NEW VERSION OF TYRANNY. (By Telegraph—'Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, November 15. “The Italian political situation is very grave. Italians are facing nothing less than the threat of a new Fascism, said Dr. Crose. “After collecting certain generals from our army, which under Fascism was riddled with corruption, King Victor proposes to clamp on a new version of the same tyranny which he accepted and favoured for 20 years. It is important for European civilisation that Italy should regain her health. “If the Allies permit King Victor to impose military domination by discredited generals, the Allies may reach Rome and find all the political forces disowning the Government they are supporting.” BADOGLIO’S STORY NEGOTIATIONS WITH PARTY LEADERS ABDICATION AND OTHER DEMANDS LONDON, November 14. Marshal Badoglio has issued a statement from Italian Government headquarters in south Italy confirming that Count Sforza and Dr Groce have refused active participation in the Badoglio Government till King Victor Emmanuel has abdicated, Crown Prince Umberto renounced the succession, and the Crown Prince’s son been made King, with a regency during his minority. Marshal Badoglio said: “The leaders of each party informed me that once Rome was liberated they favoured the establishment of a completely constitutional Government, leaving me only military affairs. I told them the first thing to do was to free Italy of the Germans—that to make radical political changes now would only upset the liberated zone and thus hamper the Allies and would forestall the wishes of the whole Italian people, which could only be expressed after all Italy was freed. As an illustration of the far-reaching loyalty of the Italians to the King, Marshal Badoglio said all the Italian Ambassadors except the one in Berlin had preferred arrest and a concentration camp rather than foreswear their allegiance to the House of Savoy. The Ambassadors of the House of Savoy were suffering extremely harsh treatment. Marshal Badoglio said Italy had recognised Russia as a co-belligerent and that the Communist Party was legalised in Italy and free to publish a newspaper. Trade unions were being re-established, and 100 Fascists were already in concentration camps in the liberated zone. In a confident reference to the future Marshal Badoglio recalled a parallel for the present campaign in the victory at Vittorio Veneto. Then, he said, British, American, French and Italian troops broke the Austrian Empire a week before Germany’s collapse. He hoped soon to see Italian mountain troops in action against the Germans.