THE CHINA MAIL, MARCH 15, 1941.
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FOR PEACE IN
ROME
(By A Special Correspondent)
NOT FAR FROM the Colosseum in Rome is the old church of San Pietro in Vincoli St. Peter in Chains - one of the most famous buildings in Italy.
I walked in there the other day expecting to find it deserted, and got the shock of my life.
Gathered around the statue of the Holy Virgin on the right as you go into the church were hundreds of weeping women and old men.
They were widows and other relatives of Italians who fell in Albania. It was not the fact that they were there that shocked me. It was the enormous number of them.
Standing wedged together be the ancient floor work may fore the statue, sobbing hitterly, peserved, they formed a great dark INS of misery which practically block- ed the whole entrance * of the church this church which I re-
Sole Agents:--A. S. WATSON & CO., LTD. member used to be so quiet with
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so few people in it.
"Yes, they come here in hum- dreds now to mourn their soldier dead," one of the old officers of the church told me.
fore.
"We have seen anything like it be-
"I have never seen 50 Imany mourners at one time, not even in The last WHI And it is the same inally ther churches too.”
He said that ecclesiastics had met bon many other parts of Italy had told hi of the daily growing groups of mour- ners, that the number of widows who came to pray
war
I know an Italian who listens regularly to B.B.C. bulletins broadcast in English because he made a point of coming to my. house and telling me that every detail of the B.B.C. news broad- cast regarding the R.AT. raid on Taranto was true.
He had been down to Taranto, and, because of his official posi- tion, had been able to ACC for himself.
to
It may seem surprising to you that an Italian should come my house like that to report the truth of the facts about a disas- ter to his country. This parti- cular Italian, who is typical of many, has told nie frequently that he thinks it would be far better if Britain succeeds in oc- cupying Italy than if Germany be wins the war. He says, and I believe hin, that there is a large percentage of people in Italy who think this way.
Sandbags have been piled. up round the Roman Fo.n and other relies of ancient Rome.
Not Keen
A
When I refer to the responsalaf- ity of those who frame the BBC. en- news bulletins I mean to phasise that care should be taken in these broadcasts not to make
Scarcely anyone in Italy has #gas mask Probably some pin- use of loose phrases which, while ple have got them, but never carry they may help to give an idea of them about. friend of mine ja raid on italy to the British told me that they dumped a batch public, undermine the confidence of rather antiquated gas masks that hundreds of thousand - at the college he visited in Rome the other day, with no instruc- tions for their use.
The next day they put in some shovels and fire-fighting appli- unces with the remark: "You'll be needing these soon."
Factory owners and big em- was ployers of labour throughout Italy far and away beyond the num- have been warned to build their
ber of dead whose names peared in small type newspapers.
The
Brutal Facts
ש!
Italians have in B.B.C. news.
of
After one of the earlier raids on Naples the B.B.C. said in a broadcast that the glare of fires caused by bombs in Naples out- rivalled Vesuvivus in eruption- or words to that effect. I did not hear the broadcast, but I repeat the words as given to me.
he is a
Several Italians told me that ap-own air-raid shelters; otherwise the broadcast gave a very exug- daily shelters will be built in their fac-gerated impression of what actual- tories and they will pay for them ly happened in Naples. One who and be fined RS well. Every was there at the time
Catholic priest said that five thing is being done in a rush-
RA.F. bombs fell slap through the middle of Naples station but Ivited to explode. They, of
for it time bul caused little
as if Italy had just woken up know to the fact that there is a war the brutal facts about the wer,
churches of Italy
on.
know the might of the casual- There were scarcely any good course, dislocated the railway line
were killed.
ties in Albama, Egypt, and in the air-raid shelters in Rome itself briet French
campaign during when Mussolini flung the coun- damage. He said there was very
little damage by fire. which many thousands of Italians try into the war. Now there are In my opinion, as a person who notices posted all over the capital watched Italian reactions care- Fascist censorship and the pro-showing you the way to the near-fully, I think the best pulley in paganda network brilliantly est ricovero (shelter). These hushes up bad news in papers and preparations would probably put would be to give just a simple broadcasts to Italy dealing with cinemas, but it cannot keep the new heart into any other nation account of facts about raids, with mourners away from churches.
When
the fighting first bc. gan in Greece, the Italian pa- pery used to give the names of the dead in big type on front pages. Since then the type has got smaller and smaller. Now the names of many of the fal ten do not appear in papers at all.
I but not into the Italians.
They do not fect patriotic about this war. They tell you
very little embroidery or sup- It would help the power
position.
quite sincerely and openly that of British broadcasts to Italy, they are not enthusiastic about fighting.
"Bomb Rome"
much blacker.
Fascism And The
Church
One of the most vital develop- in the past few Rome's black-out has been made ments in Italy
days is a further serious widen- You cannot get
The system of informing
about at night without what the ing of the gap between Mussolini
Vatican. and the be- Italians call a
Fascists are "lampedena" reaved families privately has little hand torch.
daily becoming more jealous of been developed, and the groups
the Church's power and grip it has on the masses.
I saw a group of young men
Veneto in
Fascist official in uniform who pointed to the badges on their lapels.
I was stopped by the police in of weeping women in churches Rome one night near my
hotel are the only really grim indica- and told that the blue paint was.
tion in Italy so far that the coun-wearing from the glass of the walking in front of me down the try is seriously at war, and that lampedena I was carrying.
It is
Vittorio
Rome the
this war is hitting the Italian a strict rule that you must have other day stopped brusquely by a
armies hard.
Hiding The Wounded
dark blue paint thickly lathered over the glass. Restaurants are. how not allowed to have even
"Remove
The Italian authorities are go- shaded lights outside their doors said. They were badges showing those at once," be ing to extraordinary lengths to only the word "Ristorante" lit
members of the
hide wounded soldiers.
that they were Though up with one dim light. they are pouring back from Al-
Re-Catholic Action organisation, one Rome night life is dead. bania by plane and hospital ship, staurants close down early. Rome of the ordinary branches of the Catholic Church which has a very you never see a trainload of is expecting to be bombed any wounded. They are always moved day now.
large membership. From the point of view at night under cover of the black-of Britain one of the best things out. Special hospitals and man- for the R.A.F. to do is to bomb sions have been confiscated from Rome immediately. Jews and set apart for them
I do not suggest bombing the where they are carefully guarded, centre of Rome, but the city's
visit them. Squads of keep the general public at distance.
The young men hesitated to re- move badges, so the Fascist snat- ched them from two of the youths, shouting: "All young men in Italy. who are not in uniform should
Rarely are relatives allowed to outskirts, I have no hesitation in by special order wear the badges
guards saying that it would cause serious of the Fascist Party."
Catholic officials have made a a panic and greatly help the busi-
series of complaints to the Vati- ness of completely breaking up Rumours of heavy casualties, the morale of this already trembl-can that many young Catholic started by the appearance or so Ing capital. many mournèrs in churches, were among the causes of a nation-wide grumbling' about the war, which was attacked last week by the Italian Press. Before I left the tragic interior of the Church of St. Peter in Chains I went to look at Michel- angelo's famous statue of Moses there. It was practically hidden
The people who frame the should wear shorts instead of long from view by a
sort of house B.B.C.'s News Bulletins to Italy trousers, that shorts were the made of bricks and cement which have a great responsibility on proper attire for a healthy man, had been built round it to pro- their shoulders. For these bul-and that they were the means of
Action members have been held up like this. The Vatican for the The very noise of planes as present retains a discréct silence, Favold unnecessary they fly over the capital to It wants to
trouble. bomb nearby factories and air- ports has a terrifying effect on the Italians.
tect it in case of bombing.
Listening To B.B.C.
Anti-Musso Drawings
The other day the order went round Italy that all true Fascists
letins are carefully listened to saving cloth, which is now very The statue is supposed to be a from one end of Italy to
the scarce in Italy: A few days later symbol of strength controlled by other.
big drawings appeared on walls superhuman will power.
Listening-in to foreign broad-in Rome streets of Mussolini and Mussolini has ordered lead casts in Italy is strictly forbid-Ciano in shorts, with, very rude covering to be put down over all den, but everyone listens in just remarks printed beneath them.
That is the 'Arst time I 'can 'rew" the mosaic flooring of churches the same. All classes know all
drawings in monumental buildings in about the British version of what call anti-Mussolini Rome, so that if these buildings is happening in Albania, Egypt, Rome. They will certainly not catch fire, from incendiary, bombs and the Mediterranean,pe the last.,
LUWWM) : Opisy
and