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As a result, official and unof-- | în arbitrary action on ficial vatican circles have been | DÉ the Fascist Governi making increasingly clear, as the | N8 its arguments on war progresses, that the church Lateran Treaty. The An open breach between Italy and the Holy See has been avoid-- ed by the fact that the Catholic Church always tries to compro-- mise on temporal questions as long as the tenets of the faith are not menaced, and because Signor Mussolini is fully aware of the world--wide morale power of the church. As a result, the Vatican is now regarded as an enemy by the Axis. Its representatives are watched as closely as the agents of a hostile power. Italian spies are inside the Vatican grounds and report to the OVRA (Itali-- an Secret Police) on the activi-- ties of the residents. The Pope has been compelled to adopt a rationing system, Vatican mail is being censored and . Italians who have contacts with the Va-- tican personnel are shadowed and questioned. Open Breach Avoided. The situation has become worse in the past year, or, to be exact, since August, 1941, when Pope Pius refused to come out in favor of the Axis war against Bolshe-- vist Russia. Signor Mussolini, this writer learned from reliable Va-- tican circles, suggested that the Pontiff sanction what the Fascist press termed the "Christian cru-- sade against the Russian athe-- ists.' Pope Pius, however, refused to commit himself. His silence showed more significantly than anything else up to that time the grave concern of the Church over a possible Nazi victory in Europe. The Church has been humilia-- ted in Italy, its clergy having the alternatives of-- co--operating with the Fascisti or going to con-- centration camps. Scores of par-- ish priests are now in such camps or in jail as "defeatists" because they refused to support the Fas-- cist warlike propaganda and in-- sisted on preaching peace and forgiveness instead of "hatred," as Signor Mussolini had ordered. For a few days the Osservatore Romano continued its editorial policy of absolute impartiality. As a result every issue was seized as soon as it came out, and Italians who asked for it at news stands found waiting blackshirts who clubbed them on the charge of being traitors. Another Example of Fascist tac-- tics occurred soon after Italy's intervention in the war. The Va-- tican newspaper Osservatore Ro-- mano was limited by Signor Mus-- solini almost exclusively to reli-- --gious news. The fault of that newspaper, in the eyes of Fas-- cisti, was the printing of impar-- tial despatches which, by their very fairness, contradicted those appearing in the Italian press. Pap. 4 " The geographical situation of the Vatican State, in the heart of Italian territory, makes this po-- licy easy to pursue Signor Mus-- solini has many means with which to disturb the temporal life of the tiny State and is taking full advantage of them to apply pressure to the Pontiff in an effort to win the moral support of the Catholice Church for the Axis. When Italy and Germany in-- vaded Yugoslavia in April, 1941, the Yugoslavy Minister to the Holy See was ordered to leave Italy. He protested that he in-- tended to take up residence in the Vatican, where quarters were already being prepared for him. He pointed out that an article of the Concordat clearly speci-- fied that members of the Diplo-- matic Corps accredited to the Holy See might reside within the Vatican grounds. In reply, the Italian Government ordered him to leave Italy within twenty-- four hours. A strong protest by Papal Secretariat of State failed to alter the decision. Contraditcory News Since Italy's intervention in the war the relations between the Vatican and the Fascist Gov-- ernment have become increas-- ingly strained as a result of Premier Benito Mussolini's poli-- cy of curbing the temporal ac-- tivity of the Pope. -- It would be an exaggeration to say that the Pope today is a prisoner in the Vatican, as was Pope Benedict XV during the remains that many important clauses of the 1929 Lateran Treaty between the Holy See and Italy that were drawn with the specific aim of safeguarding the temporal independence of the Pontiff were systematically vio-- lated when they did not fit in with Signor Mussolini's plans. first Great War. Yet the fact Strained Relations Increase Between Vatican and the Fascist Government Our English Section The Parola del Papa is sent to parish priests throughhout Italy, who -- distribute it among the faithful. In this way the masses have been kept fully informed of the activity of the Pope, and the favorable reaction of the people to 'his interest for peace has given the Church an accurate picture of the national feeling toward. the <conflict. Petty: Fas-- cist hierachs in small provincial towns and villages have attempt-- ed to stop the distribution of this newspaper. The Vatican has recently pro-- tested against arrests of priests as "defeatists." It considered this in arbitrary action on the part f the Fascist Government, bas-- ing its arguments on the 1929 year ago with a circulation of 5,000 copies. Today it has reach-- ed a circulation of about 200,000 and is expected to top the half million before the end of this year. Pope Pius' morale influence over the Italian people is greater today than at any other time during his Pontificate. Copies of his speeches advocating peace and a new world order sell by the hundreds of thousands. The popular interest is so great that the Osservatore Romano, with its forcibly limited circulation, has been found inadequate. Priests Turn Publishers. To remedy this situation, a num-- ber of parish priests decided to publish a sheet they called the Parola del Papa (word of the Pope). This small newspaper, which appears only when the Pope makes a speech, started a Pope Pius today is in a much happier position. He is able through the Vatican radio sta-- tion to speak directly to all Ca-- tholics. Thee possibility of misun-- derstandings has thus largely been eliminated. This, Vatican circles told the writer, was due to the fact that the Pontiff's speeches were dis-- torted to suit the conveniences of the Governments of the belli-- gerent countries, with the result that the Catholics received a false impression of his attitude. Unlike the first Great War, the Vatican today has means with which to make its attitude clear throughout the Catholic world. Pope Benedict XV was to some extent criticized by both belliger-- ent factions during the 1914--18 war. As Italy is about to enter her third war year, the ideological conflict between the Italian rul-- ing class and the national clergy is becoming more apparent. Al-- though highly patriotic, the Ital-- ian priest regards Fascism as a natural enemy of the church be-- cause of its subservance to and alu.ance with neo--pagan Nazism. The clergy know that, should the Axis win the war, the church will be dealt with by the con-- querors as an enemy. They be-- lieve that the spreading of the Catholic faith and the survival of the church come before patri-- otic feeling, and, though discip-- lined and obsequious to the lay authorities, they confine their mission mainly to alleviating the sufferings of the masses. ; The priests mission is made easier by the fact that the ma-- jority of the people have no en-- thusiasm for Italy's participation in the war. After years of con-- flict in Ethiopia and Spain, the Italians felt a strong desire for peace. In many of his speeches Pope Pius has left no doubt as to what he regards as the "evil forces" of the world. He has not, of course, come out openly in favor of an Anglo--American victory, for, in keoping with the traditional poli-- cy of the church, he must pre-- serve at least a semblance of impartiality. But those who can read between the lines have now a clear idea of his attitude. Postwar Certainty. This attitude still prevails to-- day. It explains the apathy of the army, the "civil disobedience" at home and why Signor Mussolini was forced in one of his speeches to advocate a policy of "hatred." The priest who preaches peace is regarded as a friend by the mas-- ses. sees in a democratic victory over the totalitarian states its only chances of avoiding an era of persecution. The Osservatore Romano re-- cently printed a series of articles illustrating the Pontiff's ideas for "a just and permanent peace" which may be regarded as offic-- ial, in view of the fact that they were written in accordance with instructions issued by the Papal Secretariat of State. Augsy °C te % protests It is to be hoped that any mili-- tary operation which takes Italy into account will be preceded by an intelligently--planned political offensive aiming at convincing the Italian masses to support ac-- tively the troops of the United Nations, if and when a landing takes place. From the correct If the military leaders decide that the moment is ripe for the opening of a 'second" front, the possibility of am allied landing in Italy will not be overlooked, chieflly if Rommel's offensive in Lybia does not bring the results hoped for by the Nazi leaders, The position of Malta as a fort-- ress against Nazi activities in the central Mediterranean has been strengthened. American supplies are reaching Egypt in increasing quantities and the presence of American troops has been report-- ed in Gibraltar. They may be us-- ed in the eventuality of political changes in northern Africa. But they may also have more ambi-- tious plans. i 1. Germany's failure to defeat the Soviets within the promised time limit. This and many other instances of flagrant violation of the con-- cordat, both in Italy and in Ger-- many, are responsible for the feeling today among the Italian clergy that only a peace dictat-- ed by a victorious United States will enable the church to carry on its mission unim peded throughout the Catholic world. This belief is strengthened by the knowledge of the satisfactory way in which the curch is thriv-- ing in the United States, as con-- trasted with conditions in the Axis countries. Popular feeling in Italy has increasingly tended to favor a separate peace. That is why Mus-- solini urgently sought a meeting with Hitler. The Italian people, approach-- ing the borderline of poverty and hunger, increasingly began ask-- ing themselves: "What are we fighting and suffering for? What are we getting out of it all? Even the Chauvinistic Italians who applauded Il Duce's terri-- torial ambitions are beginning to feel frustrated. They are depriv-- ed even of the satisfaction that they are fighting for territorial gains. Everybody in Italy realizes full well that if Hitler is unwilling to satisfy Italian -- territorial claims while he is in need of Italian military and naval sup-- port, Hitler is scarcely likely to keep his promises after the war. Having been imbued with the Fascist propaganda to the effect that the Allies after the last war cheated Italy of her just terri-- torial ambitions, Italian national-- ists are asking themselves wheth-- er this war will end differently. The Italian people's dream of a separate peace have recently been encouraged by several fac-- tors: have gone unheeded, however (The author of the following article is Livio Zeno, one of the leaders of the Free Italian Movement in London, Eng-- land.) 157 MceNAB ST. NORTH Fabbricanti di bibite gassose La migliore e più economica bibita rinfrescante per ogni occasione (banchetti, sposalizi, trattenimenti, etc.) WEST 413 PENDER ST Tel. 7--2420 "The church regards Nazism Italy and Political Warfare Separate Peace for Italy? DOMINION SODA WATER CO. Quaisiasi oggetto d'oro e diamanti. J. GRIMALDI SI COMPRA Spedite a : "La Vittoria" 13 giugno, 1942 statement that Italians hate the Germans and the Nazi--Fascist rule, one should not jump at the conclusion that Italians love the United Nations. They know too little about us. Fascist propa-- ganda has worked actively for twenty years in sowing among large sections of the Italain peo-- ple distrust for the Soviet Union, for the United States and for the British Commonwealth. The Bol-- shevist bogey, the exploitation of Italian labor by what fascists have been 'calling for years the Jewish--Masonic American pluto-- cracy, a false picture of Eng-- land's role at the Peace Confer-- ence and at the time of the Ethiopian aggression, play an important part in. determining: the attitudes of many Italians. All kinds of errors and miscon-- ceptions must be)eliminated in order to transform 'passive op-- position to Axis policies into ac-- tive support of the cause for which we are fighting. ) _"When the time of reconstrue-- tion comes it will be more diffi-- cult for the church to eradicate the false neo--pagan theory of the Nazis from the consciousness of the. masses than to instil in the soul of the atheist the belief in God, for this belief will answer a natural craving of man's soul, while the neo--pagan masses may nmot feel it equally strongly." There are many obstacles in the way of a seperate peace, first is Il Duce's personal political in-- fluence, second, there is the Ger-- man control of the Italian police and key political positions. Third, half a million Italian workers in Germany could be held as hos-- tages, like the French prisoners of war, though in this case the Italians _ could hold Rommel's Germans. Fourth, the knowledge that: the Allies~ would demand Italian evacuation of the Yugo-- Slav and Greek iterritories they now occupy. 2 The Italian clergy, he continu-- ed, who are aware of this dan-- ger, advocate victory in sermons and preachings, but they are al-- ways careful to specify "a vic-- tory for the common good"--that is for the good of Christianity. This, he said, would not obtain in the event of an Axis victory. 4. Laval's return to. power, which for the Italians almost im-- medaitely manifested itself in Hitler's successfully.exerting pressure on Mussolini to check the popular agitation for Savoy, Nice, Corsica and Tunis. Il Duce's distmssal would be a prerequisite to any such action and this would remove the chief obstacle, but failing this, the King's abdication might precipi-- tate a constitutional crisis which, if favored by . cirecumstances, might lead to the fall of Mus-- solini's government. "A theist bolshevism is less pre-- occupying for the reason that, al-- though it has forcibly eliminated God, man cannot live without believing in a superior being. On the other hand, Nazism has re-- placed God with a pagan theory which, though it does. not meet his spiritual needs, yet gives him something to look up to. 3. Realization that American warships operating in the Medit-- terranean further imperils the Italian fleet's hoped for domina-- tion of that sea at a time when it is already obvious that French naval -- supremacy _ over -- Italy grows with every Italian warship sunk. as its real enemy," said a high Vatican prelate who cannot be further identified for obvious rea-- sons--to this correspondent less than a month ago. 2. Adolf Hitler's despondent speech of April 26. HAMILTON, ONT. VANCOUVER B.C. J. Rosenfeld S. Rosenfeld Italo--Canadesi ! Sostenete il vostro giornale "La Vittoria" Diffondetelo! Abbonatevi ! A D E 5 S O ! Gli uscieri erano l'ossessio-- ne di Alessandro Dumas. Ne vedeva tanti ogni giorno con la carta bollata tra le mani! Una volta gli presentarono un foglio per una sottoscri-- zione, -- Si tratta, gli dico-- no, di venti franchi per la sepoltura di un povero uscie-- re. -- Un usciere? Prendete, esclama il romanziere met-- tendo mano alla borsa, ecco quaranta franchi, seppellite-- ne due. I capi di due nazioni ami-- che che son diventate alleate in guerra, rinsaldando così l'unione panamericana. Il Presdiente Del Messico del Conte Sforza Discorso alla radio Ogni volta che il fascismo finge di risolvere un proble-- ma italiano in quanto solo italiano, esso danneggia in-- teressi italiani infinitamen-- te più alti. Nella pace di do-- mani -- che sarà la pace vit-- toriosa delle democrazie -- noi italiani non discuteremo di problemi italiani come ta-- li ; noi saremo alla avanguar-- dia del mondo che sorge e discuteremo solo di lati ita-- liani -- di comuni problemi europei e mondiali. lia di domani ha tutto da guadagnare non da antiqua-- te intraprese nazionalistiche ma dalla creazione di un mondo basato sulla solidarie-- ta internazionale: Garibaldi, che pur era un vero eroe di guerra, non un finto eroe di guerra civile, lo aveva ben capito; e nei suoi ultimi an-- ni di Caprera lo proclamò a-- pertamente. Nell'Europa di domani, nazionalità gloriose come l'i-- taliana dovranno restare vi-- ve fiamme di pensiero e di fede; ma mai più si abbas-- seranno a divenir strumenti di aggressioni che si rivol-- gono contro di noi. Uniamoci intorno al nome di Garibaldi. Il Presidente Degli S.U. (Continuazione dalla 1. a pag.) MANUEL AVILA CAMACHO Dumas e l'usciere F. D. ROOSEVELT -- Facciamo sempre la vo-- lonta di Dio. Riprese la strada. -- (Ec-- Afferrò con la mano che aveva libera quella del gio-- vane e, in una effusione di gratitudine, tentò di portar-- sela alle labbra. Corrado si svincolò con destrezza salu-- tando. In piazza delle Galline 'in-- contrò Lisandro che andava in paese. Aveva il braccio al collo; se l'era spezzato sci-- volando sulla spiaggia. -- Come va, Lisandro? -- Meglio, ma il braccio non serve ancora. Debbo tanto alla signora e a vos-- signoria. Corrado si lasciava sem-- pre condurre senza-- opposi-- zione, ma senza gioia. Gli tornavano sempre più le forze e il colorito. La ma-- dre, guardandolo, ne gioiva in fondo al cuore, ma nelle sue " ardenti preghiere chie-- deva a Dio e alla Madonna che anche quella nube che offuscava la fronte del figlio dovesse scomparire per sa-- perlo veramente e del tutto risanato d'animo e di corpo. Erano andati alla Vergine Maria, un gruppo di case a-- bitate da pescatori, con un palazzetto cupo, una piccola darsena e un grande magaz-- zino per gli attrezz1 dae-- sca ; tutto odoroso di, salesdi-- ne e sparso di reti, tutto picchiettato dal verde dei fi-- chi d'India. Erano andati piu oltre, seguendo la costa, per un viottolo, fino a una torre sbocconcellata e cadente, e-- retta su d'una rupe, antica vedetta per le incursioni sa-- racene, fino a punta Priola, e lì avevano deliziato gli oc-- chi al panorama di monte Gallo e del golfo di Mondel-- lo, azzurro come un lago al-- pino. Erano andati alle Falde, alla Castellana, alla Favorita. Alzatosi più presto del so-- lito, Corrado annunziò alla madre che si recava in cit-- tà. -- Franco lo sa ? -- Non gli ho detto nulla, ne forse lo vedro. -- Ma che conti di fare? -- Una passeggiata. Or-- mai sono forte abbastanza per potere andar solo. È un pezzo che non rivedo la città. Facevano anche lunghe passeggiate a piedi durante le quali Corrado riabituava i muscoli al movimento. (Ta-- barro) era il loro insepara-- bile compagno. Anche a lui la riacquistata libertà procu-- rava schietti entusiasmi che si traducevano in corse paz-- ze e abbaiamenti furiosi. Quella fu la prima d'una serie di gite in barca. Vaga-- vano sul mare, senza mèta. Se li aiutava la bonaccia si allontanavano tanto che la costa diventava all'orizzonte una linea scura, mentre so-- lo e incombente restava il Pellegrino, con alle spalle il Gallo, riflesso sul mare a to-- ni di cupo metallo. Quando Corrado e Franco decisero di ritornare, ebbero di fronte il Pellegrino grigio e nudo. Biancheggiava su di un pinnacolo la statua di santa Rosalia cinta da ar-- cate, e dal mare tutto sem-- brava minuscolo, come un giocattolo alzato lassu per un capriccio e mantenuto in equilibrio per virtu d'un pro-- digio. La villa Belmonte sulla costa luceva dal bianco in-- tercolonnio della facciata; più in alto, nel verde, occhieg-- giava un chiosco rotondo, e, piu in su ancora, un tempiet-- to a tetto conico si nascon-- deva fra gli alberi. Una barca veniva lenta-- mente a loro e in breve fu vicina. C'erano a bordo uo-- mini'e signore. Franco, che (s{'\era piegato a guardare, gri-- 0: Andate alla Grotta? Un signore che sedeva a prua saluto dicendo: -- Anche voi qui? Andia-- mo proprio alla Grotta. -- Noi prendiamo un ba-- gno di sole. -- Buon divertimento. -- Anche a voi. La barca sopraggiunta filò verso la costa. Arrivederci, fatti co-- V; -- Il passato è passato. Il presente dice che lei è sano, non c'è nula che possa de-- stare sospetti o apprensioni. Glielo dico sinceramente . e 3 (Continua) 3 ---- Il suo dubbio non ha ragione d'esistere. -- Lei conosce la realattia che mi ha tolto il padre . . . -- Certamente; Fho avu-- to in cura. -- Dunque il mio male è doppiamente grave: per il passato e per il presente. -- Quando avremo com-- pletata la convalescenza la diremo definitiva. -- Non mi sono spiegato benez ;/ \ -- Benissimo invece. -- Qui non c'è mia madre, ci sono io, io solo, disposto a tutto, anche alle confiden-- ze gravissime. Il medico lo guardò sor-- preso. -- Non comprendo .. . . -- _ La mia guarigione è io L0 definitiva ? -- Sono venuto per sapere da lei senza testimoni, e quindi senza sottintesi, le mie vere condizioni di salute. Ma Fuomo di scienza a-- vrebe messo a posto le cose. Giunse al teatro Massimo .e si arresto per prender fiato. Era giunto. La palme che fiancheggiavano la mole e-- norme sembravano fontane di verde smeraldo. -- Ascolto. Il medico è come il confessore. Sampieri avvicinò una pol-- trona e vi si sprofondò ten-- dendo il capo. Eppure, bisognava uscire dalla situazione che durava da troppo tempo. Infilo via Maqueda tenendosi vicino ai negozi. Nello specchio d'una vetrina si vide pallido e ac-- cigliato. Cercò di rimettersi procedendo a passi lenti. (Chi te l'ha detto ? Che ne sai tu?) Questo gli aveva chiesto Franco il giorno del loro primo incontro, dopo le sue confessioni; e aveva ra-- gione. -- È in casa il dottor Sam-- pieri ? ---- S1, non è ancora uscito. Quando Sampieri lo vide ebbe una esclamazione di giubilo: -- Lei qui? Come mai? una vera sorpresa. Ha lasciato l'eremo E la signo-- ra ? Ma s'interruppe scorgen-- do sulla faccia del giovane un travaglio doloroso. -- Che c'è dunque di nuo-- vo? Volevo parlarle di cose se-- rie. Chiese al portinaio di un vicino palazzo : S'avviò per il corso Vit-- torio Emanuele, tra la folla di pedoni e di vetture. Face-- va quella strada più lunga per avere il tempo di riflet-- tere meglio a quel che si era proposto di attuare quella mattina, dopo lunga indeci-- sione, e per rimettersi dal turbamento che l'irrevocabile decisione presa gli metteva nell'animo. Andava macchi-- nalmente e giunse ai Quattro Canti già stanco. Il suo in-- timo cruccio si allargava. cone un altro -- diceva a se stesso, -- rassegnato e con-- tento; Carico di figli e di malanni, affronta la vita e lotta pertinace e tranquillo. Chi gli dà questa forza?) Sulla -- piazza -- dell'Acqua Canta sostò ' aspettando il tranvai presso un basso mu-- rello che faceva da parapet-- to. Aveva davanti i magaz-- zini della manifattura dei ta-- bacchi e i cipressi di un vec-- chio piccolo cimitero. Corrado non vedeva e ri-- muginava . il suo pensiero. Quella gita in città l'aveva progettata da un pezzo. é Il tranvai sopraggiunto ri-- partì subito scampanellando. Il movimento delle carrozze, dei carri, delle automobili gli riempiva la testa di frastuo-- no e ne provava uno stordi-- mento acuto, abituato com'e-- ra da un pezzo al silenzio del suo eremo. A Piazza Marina, ove ave-- va la sua abitazione, alzò gli occhi a guardare i balconi e le finestre chiuse, ma non penso nemmeno di salire per un momento. Aveva il suo piano e do-- veva condurlo a compimento in breve tempo, nasconden-- dolo a tutti. Anno I. N. 9