Olga Rudge & Ezra Pound: "What Thou Lovest Well..."

149 The Subject Is—Wartime
Olga’s diary ended abruptly. On July 19, 1943, a strong force of American
bombers attacked the railway yards and the airport at Rome, and the
damage was considerable. On July 25, Il Duce was arrested. Victor Emmanuel
III, still titular King of Italy, asked Marshal Pietro Badoglio to take
over as prime minister. The next day, July 26, Rome Radio carried one of
Pound’s broadcasts.
Ezra first heard the news of his indictment for treason—along with
seven other broadcasters—over the BBC. He went to the American embassy
in Rome, sta√ed by the Swiss during wartime, hoping to discover
the o≈cial charges against him. The embassy had had no contact with
Washington, so he learned nothing there. He returned to Rapallo to think
things over.
On August 4, Pound wrote to U.S. Attorney General Francis Biddle,
explaining his reasons for the broadcasts: ‘‘I have not spoken with regard
to this war, but in protest against a system which creates one war after
another. . . . I have not spoken to the troops, and have not suggested that
the troops should mutiny or revolt . . . the American people should be
better informed by men who are not tied to a special interest. . . . A war
between the U.S. and Italy is monstrous and should not have occurred.
And a peace without justice is no peace, but merely a prelude to future
wars.’’ His letter naively enclosed ‘‘an application for the renewal of the
passport which you took from me when I called at your o≈ce.’’ In Pisa, he
would recall a line from that letter:
free speech without free radio speech is as zero . . . (Canto 74)
there are no righteous wars . . .
total right on either side of a battle line (Canto 82).
Ezra remained in Rapallo for the rest of August, waiting to see what
would happen if the Badoglio government negotiated peace with the Allies.
On September 6 he went to Rome again to resume the broadcasts.
On September 8, 1943, Italy capitulated to the Allied Forces. On the
morning of September 10, while U.S. troops were preparing to occupy
Rome, Pound checked out of the Albergo Italia and called on Olga’s friend