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 * 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 " 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 , Italy and nationalist . 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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