TOPICS OF THE DAY

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21370, 14 March 1941, Page 4

TOPICS OF THE DAY

Ciano's Responsibility It is doubtful if many know that Count Ciano, the son-in-law whose faults Mussolini is said either to be unaware of or to ignore because of his devotion to daughter Edda, is principally to blame for the Italian defeats in Albania, irrespective of what may be the reasons for the reverses in North Africa,” says Sign, an American publication. “ I have learned from trustworthy Italian sources that the ambassador sent by Ciano to Athens gave the most confident assurances to Rome, before the invasion of Greece, that the Duce’s forces would meet with no resistance, but instead would be welcomed with open arms. Relying on these assurances, Ciano assumed complete direction of what began as a purely political rather than a military campaign. No crack troops were used in the beginning; only Blackshirt militia would be needed, it was decided. When the Greeks fought like demons and pursued the retreating Italians deep into Albania, even after seasoned troops and officers had replaced the militia, it was necessary to find a scapegoat, and Marshal Pietro Badoglio’s retirement was clearly intended to save Ciano’s face.”