-2-#80, Tenth, from Vatican City  
 
 
heroic men and women in all the ranks required by war  
in this long pursuit of the enemy of the Italian peninsula.  
At the advent of spring, the season of hope and promise,  
the battle rages with ever increasing force in an ever  
lessening area. As the forces of the enemy are encircled their strength   
decreases. That is true in both hemispheres.  
The aggressors will be crushed. The folly of the Nazis  
particularly in seeing their towns and cities ruined, their  
soldiers and people maimed and killed by the same methods  
they introduced against their more peaceful neighbors  
surpasses in stupidity even their futile effort to conquer  
the world in the wake of their retreat. Italy a continuing  
battle ground has suffered vital injury. Only when the  
veil is lifted from the northern Italian sector can the  
full destruction of her homes, her factories, her economy  
be estimated. That it will be great is certain. This  
poor country so badly guided into the mad Nazi ambitions  
has paid dearly for its errors. It will continue to pay  
long after our generosity to a fallen foe has been exhausted  
for her wounds are deep and will be slow to heal. That  
you should have opened your purse strings to relieve  
liberated Italy as you have done for other war-torn  
countries rescued from the Nazi terror. That you should  
have opened your hearts in her hour of collapse of morale  
 
 
glorifies