Italy Wins

The Italian Army last week scored a victory over the German Army--as might be expected, in a race. The goal was Corfu, the little Greek island at the mouth of the Adriatic, which, in their solo campaign, the Italians had pounded with bombs and been unable to take.

After the Greek surrender an Axis leaflet bombing told the Corfiotes it was time to give up. Corfu's civil, religious and military authorities conferred, decided to give themselves up to the Germans rather than the Italians. Their excellent reason: while the Germans might someday return the island to Greek control. Italy, once she had swallowed it, would never disgorge such a strategic tidbit.

To surrender to the Germans, four couriers chug-chugged by motorboat to the Greek mainland, put-putted by motorcycle to Yanina in Epirus, where their conquerors waited. The same evening Corfu authorities received a telegram accepting their submission.

Bright & early next morning Corfiotes heard the familiar drone of planes, saw a squadron of 100 circling over the skeletons of their gutted Byzantine churches and the grey bulk of the old Venetian fortress. To greet its captors, the city broke out a swastika flag. Then a seaplane landed and out stepped ten Italian officers, two Italian journalists. While other planes wheeled menacingly overhead, they came ashore, claimed the island for Italy.

Surrendering the city to avoid bombing, the small Greek garrison and most of the population moved inland to the hills to think things over. While the Italians were still trying to coax them out with ultimatums, the German occupation force of three arrived by motor launch, bowed politely out when they found the small end of the Axis in possession. Next day the Greeks capitulated finally and the Italians made sure of their prize with three infantry battalions.

Italy's other conquest of the week fell even more quietly. As Germany without fuss took what she wanted of Slovenia, Rome announced with nourishes that it had "annexed" the Slovene border city of Ljubljana, set up an "autonomous province of Ljubljana." The Romans pulled out of there in the Fifth Century.

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