Italian Fascist War Crimes in Ethiopia - Societa italiana di storia ...

88 Richard Pankhurst
D i xon commented that it was “far from clear” what the President’s message
meant “when translated into action,” but concluded that Ro o s evelt seemed to
assume that Italy’s surrender would be effected in two separate stages,” i.e. “short
term” ones, followed by “discussion of our future re q u i rements.” Mussolini’s surrender
was not “provided for” in the former, but would be in the latter. 1 4
House of Commons Questions on Badoglio and Mussolini
Fascist Italy’s collapse had a profound world-wide impact. In Britain, Leslie
Carruthers, a correspondent of the pro-Ethiopian publication New Times and
Ethiopia News, appealed to British Foreign Secretary Eden, on 25 July, for an
assurance that the Government would “have no official dealings with Marshal
Badoglio,” but would “exact his extradition to Ethiopia, to be tried for his violation
of the International Gas Convention.” 15
The situation in Italy also led to Parliamentary Questions in the House of
Commons. The first, on 3 August, was by a Unionist MP, Major Vy v yan Ad a m s ,
a member of the London-based Abyssinia Association. Fearing a possible British
deal with Badoglio, and possibly “back sliding” in relation to the Duce, he put
d own two questions for the Fo reign Secre t a r y.
The first concerned Badoglio, who, Adams was well aware, had been responsible
for the use of poison-gas in Ethiopia. The marshal, who had just been
appointed Italian Prime Minister, was then actively collaborating with the
Germans. The Major asked Eden “whether he would bring the behaviour of
Marshal Badoglio in Ethiopia to the attention of the United Nations Tribunal
for the trial of War Criminals.”
This question, which, according to Parliamentary practice, was put down in
advance, embarrassed the Foreign Office, for four main reasons:
1. It anticipated that Badoglio was about to sue for peace, and might be discouraged
if personally indicted as a war criminal.
2. It wanted Italy in the Western camp and favored a right-wing ruler, to curtail
anarchist or revolutionary tendencies.
3 . It had recognized the Italian fascist “conquest” of Ethiopia in 1938 and
opposed discussion of the war crimes which had preceded, and led to, that
eve n t .