NEWS OF THE WEEK
NEWS about the internal situation in Italy is scanty, but there is every sign that for the moment at any rate Marshal Badoglio means what he says when he announces that the war will go on. His predicament is plain. However much he may be dis- posed to reconcile himself forthwith to the unconditional surrender which sooner or later will be inevitable, he has no assurance that the Allies are in a position at present to give his country full pro- tection against the Germans, who will certainly attempt to occupy at any rate the northern provinces. That may not be the only reason, or a reason at all, for the hesitation to surrender. Whether it is or not, Badoglio may not long remain his own master in the matter. Last week's raids on Milan, Turin and Genoa, and the certainty that they will be repeated if the war goes on, have inten- sified the demand of the industrial north for immediate peace, and though there has been no official approach to the Allieg` there is some evidence of unofficial soundings which give an indication of the way the tide is flowing. It is to be hoped that the situation will be clearer before the Anglo-American talks at Quebec are over, for both the military developments and the political situation that would follow a complete Italian collapse need full discussion by the Allied chiefs. Certain aspects of them concern Russia closely, but it is unfortunate that compelling circumstances prevent the personal participation of Marshal Stalin. But M. Stalin is actively engaged in a campaign whose promise grows brighter every day. Among the early fruits of the German summer offensive may be the loss to Hitler not only of Orel and Bielgorod but of Kharkov and Smolensk. The German military commentator who declared on Wednesday that Russia was determined to force a decision this year may not be far wrong.
