Italian Situation. Report

and Badoglio to fight England; (b) the desire of public opinion for peace (though this cannot be stressed too far in view of Signor Mussolini's hold over the public); (c) the relative lack of reserves of material in all three fighting services; (d) the extreme vulnerability of Italy from an economic standpoint, and of the Italian Empire from a military standpoint. 6. Taken as a whole and independently of other considerations, these factors would constitute an argument for believing that Signor Mussolini will confine his activities to extreme pressure short of war.