TEE CATHOLIC Wmm *** APOLOGIST FCK AG®ESSIOH
Italy, with plen% to keep nor oooupied 1A the last weak, has not made serious efforts to justify her annexation Iff Albania, except on the basis of Albanian •misnil** and th* Albanians* "request" to be taken over* Shis oversight has not been rectified by the Catholic press which explains that th* Italian action was & "defensive" measure against "enoirdement" by Britain and France* In it* weekly department, "The J?©w Behind the Hews* th* Brocklya Tablet of April 15 daprfces thr#* and a half columns to * discussion of "Italy and Albania" in which we learn that Communis'* agitators among the Albanians were responsible for the deaths of "innocent Italian soldiers," that the "wax-makers of London, Paris and "&shingtonn are responsible for this bloodshed on Good friday and that the Italian bombing of Albanian Tillages is excused becaise its purpose was "to break th* resistance with th* least possible loss of lif**"
Th* tone of the article it set In one of the opening sentenoes vfaioh reveals that "The Albanian* were the savage baokward pagan Ethiopian* of Fiurope*" (So doubt -the Catholic's are "pagans" to the Albanians who arc good Mohammedans*} Th* following are exoerpts from the artiol*: "Italy had good reason to believe that Zog had double-crossed her. Mussolini had determined that Albania would not join the anti-Fascantorn bloc of Rumania, Jugoslavia and perhaps Hungary (sio) so he decided to break through the encircling ring of steal that Britain and France wer* fashioning around Germany, Italy and nationalist Spain. Wien Italy's troops began to move into Albania, nationalist Spain understood that she too was t* be isolated in the anti-Pasoist ring of steel* Franco therefore officially joined the anti -Comintern entente* (franco joined the anti-Comintern fact on Mar oil 27, ten days b»fore Italy invaded Albania).»»*«*
"Italy1* move into Albania was a dir**t result of Britain** attempt to isolate Germany, Italy and Spain and thus slowly starve them into subjection* • • Italy had t* mov* fast to keep the band of steel from being clasped around her throat* The move was planned by Germany and Italy a* a defensive move to counteract the British, • g *•
French and Polish encircling move, » •
"No one could condone the bombing of civilian jopulationsj but the Italian planet first flew over tha cities of Albania "bombing" the inhabitants with pro clamations calling for peaceful surrender and non-resistance* (M Italian army landed from battleships and airplanes and expected to march through Albania and to reestablish the status <$a© of an Italian protectorate; but they were mo%'with fierce resistance. Then the battleships opened fir© on the ©itiafiKi 'while the airplanes dropped incendiary bombs • - the purpose was to break the resistance with the least possible loss of life* # « Eut comuainiJll agitators had implanted in the minds and hearts of AlbaniaM fear and hatred of "fascist" Italians* (Notioo that tho 1sord Fascist, which is the official designation used by the Italiaag themselves9 is written in quotation mar#s while the word CoBBmmist, applying to mythical persons. Is not)* (Communist agit-prop (sic) produced the desired results — open warfare and the useless foolish slaughter of innocent Italiaa, peldiers and Albanian tribe- smeHf
Theijp bloodshed on Good Friday can be demanded of the "peacemakers* of Versailles and the "warmakers" of London, Paris and Washington* « • "Italy was interested in keeping anti-fascism out of Albania and not in annexing the territory or in subjugating her people*"
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Ho one can miss in this version of the Albanian inoident the remarknblo identity of tho arguments — a defensive measuro against Anglo-French onoirolementj saving
Albania was antl«
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Jay Allen thought the enclosed would be of interest
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