Last week, on the second day after Italy went to war, the Pope's newspaper failed to appear for the first time since 1870. Official explanation for Osservatore Romano's nonappearance: "The printing press has broken down." But on other occasions when its seven-year-old U. S. press has failed to function, Osservatore has appeared in mimeograph.
On Thursday, shorn of all war news whatsoever, Osservatore reappeared, announced: "In the present circumstances ... we are compelled to abstain from now on from printing the various bulletins." Il Duce once more permitted Osservatore to circulate throughout Italy—if...