NEWS OF THE WEEK THE Prime Minister's impressive denunciation to
the Italian THE of the man who is patently driving Italy to her ruin is a bold diplomatic stroke. Appeals to peoples over the heads of their Governments are rarely successful. President Wilson's appeal to the Italians over the Fiume question in 1919 failed. An appeal to the German peoples against Hitler today would unquestionably fail. If such a move is to yield results it must be made when the circumstances are plainly propitious for it. A people can effectively be reminded that it was forced wantonly into war when it has itself begun to murmur to that effect itself. The consequences of defeat can be brought home to it when it has begun to realise for itself what the consequences of defeat will be, and already are. Mr. Churchill has judged that the moment is ripe for such an open warning and such an implied appeal as he delivered on Wednesday. He has better information than any other man to back that judgement, and reports that are common property regarding the change of temper in Italy confirm it amply. The Prime Minister's words were admirably chosen. They proved, as he said, incontrovertibly who it was that had wanted peace between Italy and Britain and who had wanted war. He did not threaten, he .did not promise, though it was left abundantly clear what continuance of war would mean for Italy, and bow a move for peace by the Italian people would be received. At the worst the address will leave the situation as it is ; at the best it may conspire with other factors to effect a revolutionary transformation.
