Show Italy's Bombshell Went yOUVE yOU'VE got to hand it to these fascist 1 They take a major diplomatic defeat and make it appear to their own gulli gull ble people as a major victory discounting in advance any chortling by the enemy That's exactly what Italian fascists have tried to do in regard to their abysmal failure to line up Spain as the fourth member of the totalitarian combine For days das the whole world has been told by fascist propagandists that Spain would soon be beIn In the war against Britain lured by the juicy J plums of Gibraltar and French African terri teal terrItory territory tory held up so temptingly by Rome and Ber Ben of Gibraltar was a foregone foregone foregone fore fore- lin Speedy capture to be followed followed fol- fol gone conclusion-at conclusion least on paper paper to lowed quickly by axis control of most of Africa and aDd severing of the British Suez canal lifeline It was all cut and dried dried but but something went wrong Spain wouldn't play Still suffering the effects of her devastating civil war Spain cant can't afford to jump into the European war She he is too vulnerable on the blockade front So apparently Spain declined the insistent of ot- offer offer fer of the axis with axis with thanks perhaps but no doubt very firmly So the fascists hid their chagrin and dis disappointment disappointment dis- dis appointment under a surface showing of pleasure pleasure pleas pleas- ure over Spanish cooper cooperation in an axis a. plot to stir up revolt among British empire Arabs a a cooperation which means almost nothing beca because e Spain's influence with the Arabic Arable world is about as great as Its It's too bad but were we're afraid the Italian propagandist play wont won't go over in the world at large Were We're not being fooled that easily The truth is Js that Italy fumbled the ball She told the whole world in advance what a slick trick she was wa going to pull off another off another R Rusian Ru Rus Russian s- s sian pact another Japanese al alliance al af alliance liance She was going to show the world that Germany wasn't the only smart country And then then pUt The great bombshell was just a ad adud adud d dud |