NEWS OF THE WEEK
KING VICTOR EMMANUEL'S decision to retire and appoint his son, Crown Prince Umberto, to be Lieutenant-General of Italy when the Allies enter Rome, will go far to• smooth the way for the creation of an Italian Government supported by members of all the parties (except the Fascist). In the eyes of ardent Italian democrats nothing could alter the fact that the King had acquiesced in and lent his support to the dictatorship of Mussolini. His son cannot be held in any way accountable for the sanction which the Monarchy gave to the rule of Fascism. Marshal Badoglio from the first had promised to resign after the return of the Government to Rome, and then it would necessarily have followed that the question of the Monarchy would come up for settlement. But the capture of Rome has been delayed, and Mr. Eden has said that the British Government would welcome a broadened basis for
the Italian administration without further delay. The King's announcement, following the -decision of Moscow to recognise Marshal Badoglio's Government and the new attitude taken up by the Italian Communists under Pahniro Togliatti in favour of collaboration, should serve to hasten events. Signor Togliatti has been highly conciliatory in his approach to other non-Fascist poli- ticians. Nothing seemed to stand in the way of the creation of a united anti-Fascist front except the position of the King, with whom Count Sforza and Signor Croce refused to be associated. That difficulty should now have been removed by King Victor's promise of retirement. Last Tuesday Signor Togliatti spoke realistically of the necessity of doing first things first—namely, liberating Italy—and avoiding the dispersion of the country's strength in a score of small parties disputing among themselves. The way has now been opened for Communists, Socialists and Liberals to get together and concentrate their united efforts on the restoration of their country. The task will be made less difficult if the Communists adhere to the moderate, democratic national pro- gramme which has been outlined by their leaden.
