THE HOUSE OF COMMONS TODAY DEVOTED ITS LAST SESSION OF 1937 TO A DEBATE ON ANTI-BRITISH PROPAGANDA, DURING WHICH LABORITE LT. COM. REGINALD FLETCHER REFERRED TO PREMIER BENITO MUSSOLINI AS “THE POISON-PEN OF EUROPE” AND SUGGESTED THAT THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO ROME SHOULD “GO ON LEAVE” UNLESS FASCIST PRESS AND RADIO ATTACKS AGAINST BRITAIN BE HALTED.
FLETCHER’S SIZZLING ATTACK ON IL DUCE, WHOM HE ACCUSED OF “BLACKMAIL” AND “LYING,” BROUGHT AN ADMISSION FROM VISCOUNT CRANBORNE, FOREIGN OFFICE SPOKESMAN, THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IS PREPARED TO “TAKE WHATEVER MEASURES WE THINK ARE NECESSARY OR APPROPRIATE” IF ITALY DOES NOT STOP ITS WORLD-WIDE PROPAGANDA AGAINST BRITAIN.
THE FASCIST GOVERNMENT HAS AIDED THE ARABS IN PALESTINE AND BROUGHT ACCUSATIONS OF “TERRORISM” AGAINST THE BRITISH POLICY THERE, FLETCHER SAID. “THE USE OF THE PRESS FOR SUCH PURPOSES AMOUNTS TO BLACKMAIL AND NOTHING ELSE,” THE LABORITE ASSERTED, “AND BLACKMAIL IS A MOST AUDACIOUS CRIME. NO HEAD OF A STATE ACTUATED BY THE ORDINARY MOTIVES OF HONOR AND DECENCY WOULD TOLERATE OR ALLOW SUCH CONDUCT.
“IT WAS THE HEAD OF THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT HIMSELF THAT WROTE THESE LIES IN THE PRESS, ALTHOUGH HE WAS SOUND BY AGREEMENT NOT TO DO SO.” HE STRESSED THE CAMPAIGN WHICH HE SAID THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT HAD LAUNCHED IN THE MOSLEM WORLD, INCITING MILLIONS TO HATRED AND CONTEMPT OF BRITAIN. DIRECTLY INSPIRED AND FINANCED BY ITALY, ACCORDING TO LT. COM. FLETCHER, THE OBJECT OF THIS CAMPAIGN IS TO SUBSTITUTE ITALIAN INFLUENCE FOR BRITISH.
“MUSSOLINI HAS ASSUMED THE ROLE OF PROTECTOR OF ARAB RIGHTS, AND HE WISHES TO FISH IN THE TROUBLED WATERS OF THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN, JUST AS HE IS FISHING IN THE TROUBLED WATERS OF THE WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN.
“IT IS NO USE ADUMBRATING ON HIS AMBITIONS OR ON HIS NUISANCE VALUE. HIS CENTER OF GRAVITY IS THE MEDITERRANEAN AS THE ROUTE TO THE FAR EAST IS NOW TO BE FOUND IN PALESTINE AND HAIFA, AND THIS ITALIAN PROPAGANDA MUST BE READ IN THAT CONNECTION.”
HE DECLARED ITALY WAS SPENDING LARGE SUMS ON SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS IN SYRIA AND PALESTINE, SENDING ITALIAN STUDENTS TO THOSE COUNTRIES, CARRYING FILM PROPAGANDA, FINANCING PILGRIMAGES TO MECCA, BRIBING EGYPTIAN POLITICIANS, SENDING ITALIAN AGENTS TO SAUDI ARABIA, AND FURNISHING ARMS TO THE IMAM YAYAH OF YEMEN IN EXCHANGE FOR MILITARY AND CIVIL ADVISERS.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
