Italy's Recoil
The campaign of violent and baseless recrimination which Italy launched against Greece in the month of August, was recognisable as the regular prelude, under the Axis technique, to a lightning aggression. But the aggression has not fol- lowed, and the recrimination has for the moment died down. Why? Several explanations seem possible, but the likeliest may be that (together with an attack on Egypt) the Italian blow at Greece was timed to synchronise with Hitler's invasion of England, and was at the last moment abandoned when the invasion-scheme was. In favour of this view are the jackal's proved reluctance to spring till the lion has sprung, and the simultaneous emergence in the Italian Press, led by Signor Gayda, of warnings that the war may last two years—the very prospect which the invasion-scheme was meant to avert. One well-informed correspondent (the News Chronicle's at Lisbon) even reports that Italy is putting out feelers for a separate peace. It may well be so, and there might be some Englishmen disposed to buy Mussolini out of the war on easy terms. We hope that nothing so unwise will be done. Mus- solini is no more trustworthy than Hitler; he has grossly abused our confidence over and over again; and he ought not to be granted even an armistice save on terms which preclude him from renewing the war in any circumstances.
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