davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The New York herald., 1922-11-05

Theater, a building which deserves It's
name, for there Is no greater theater,
I think. in the world save La Scala, at
Milan. The Bolshol Theater accommo-
dates $500 people. and has five tiers
of galleries rising ono above the other.
Everything is in good repair, and, In
fact, the whole theater was recently
renovated, which reminds me that the
Moscow University and several other
public buildings are now being reno
waited. The great central box was
formerly allotted to the Car and was
always guarded, even when empty, as
it generally was. by two armed SOL
diers, who had a busy time saluting
the innumerable military officers who
walked in the great sale between the
acts This guard has now. OF course,
in richly gilt wood still remains over
the Cars box. as well "a over the
two side boxes appropriated for the
use of the Grand Dukes All three
crests are covered, however. with red
cloth.
The audience was enormous, num-
bering probably more than 1000, and
II was on the whole a we'll dressed
bourgeois audience. dressed to large
extent in black and wearing the white
shirts and collars OF civilization. 1
had purposely left my own dress
clothes behind in London. as l thought
that, Judging from my last experience
In Russia, the wearing Of dress clothes
would be regarded as a crime; but /
now find that my omission TO bring my
"joy rags" exposes me to the danger
Of ostracism.
For certainly the aspect OF the thea
ter audiences has changed enormously
since April, 1920. when 1 visited the
Artistic Theater and found It filled
with workmen, who watched the ef-
forts OF the displrited performers very
much as COWS In a pasture might
watch a passing train. The audience
The New York herald., 1922-11-05

heated reference to "the war waged
on the workers and peasant republic
for three years by all the forces Of
capitalist Europe" Then something
about the harmonious cooperation OF
the peasants and the workers, the lat
ter making agricultural machinery
for the former and the former sup
plying the latter with bread Then a
little about the Red flag. the futile
plots of the Russian monarchists in
Poland and the N. Z. p, the latter
being spoken of with bated breath, as
IL il were a magic formula.
AS a relief from economics I hur-
ried off to the Little Theater where
had been invited to attend remark
able function in honor Of Yuzhin, one
OF Russias greatest actors and play
wrights. and now a man more than so
years of age. Yuzhin, who is a prince
and whose real name is Sumbatov, oc-
cupies a remarkable position in the
Russian theater, a position somewhat
similar to that which the late Sir Her
bert Beerbohm Tree occupied in the
English theater. He is the director of
the Little, Theater in Moscow. but he
is also himself indefatigable and sue
cessful. not only as an actor but also
as a dramatic writer.
The function which took place in
his honor last Sunday at the Little
Theater was one of those things which
one only sees in Russia. When the
curtain rose at p. NJ. a dense mass
OF about one hundred people were
discovered to be seated on the stage
They included actors, actresses, liter
ary critics. professors and editors. All
in evening dress. they suggested Moth
ing of Bolshevism, and the spectator
might have fancied himself back in
the Russia of ten years ago.
How they all came to be on the
stage needs few words of explana-
tion. AS last Sunday was the for
tieth anniversary Of Yuzhin's first APP
pearance as an actor. a committee had
formed itself to commemorate the
event In Yuzhin's own theater. In
The New York herald., 1922-11-05

the war until at the beginning of 1915
an enormous crowd from al parts OF
Italy were clamoring for participation
and hailing Mussolini As national
hero. Two months later he delivered
an ultimatum to the Italian Govern
ment that 1t must either accept war
or a revolution-and italy entered the
war.
Mussolini himself was one Of the
first to volunteer. He became a cor
poral, In the Bersaglieri, fighting at
Monte Nero and in the Carso. where
he was wounded almost fatally by a
shell explosion. The King visited him
in the hospital and prayers for his
recovery were ordered in all parts Of
Italy.
When the war was over Mussolini
was only convalescent, but he threw
himself into the new situations with
his old vigor and always with the
same slogan-a greater and grander
Italy
The Socialists exploited the coun-
try's postwar poverty, and when the
Nitti Government came in with al
most a Bolshevist program Mussolini
challenged their authority to repre-
sent the people and publicly de-
nounced the Premier as "Nitu the
pig"
Revolution was felt IN the air. and
suddenly the Ffume question began
to touch the Italian people profoundly.
Hatred for Nitti began to develop al
most as rapidly as 1t did for Wood
row Wilson. From the very first Mus
solini supported D'Annunzio frankly
and Fundamentally and there was
born the idea of a nationalism such
as Italy had never before known. AS
result In 1919, when a revolution
seemed inevitable. Mussolini created
the national Fasci party as a coun-
ter revolutionary movement. but this
was a continuation of the idea he used
In 1914 to make Italy enter the war.
The party started with only fifty
sworn members. To-day 1t numbers
millions all we'll disciplined and rep
resenting all classes, who are pledged
to restore Italy as one Of the great
world Powers.
His methods since have been merely
an extension Of those he employed
early in 1914, when in company with
the Socialist Malatesta he created a
little red republic at Ancona. where
recently the black shirts captured the
barracks and where at the outbreak
of the war he organized Red week
throughout central Italy as a protest
against Italian participation in the
conflict.
The New York herald., 1922-11-05

America or England the commemora-
ton would have taken the shape OF a
dinner, followed by the presentation
of an address and number of light
and witty speeches, but what took
place on Sunday was a series of heavy
panegyrics on Yuzhin delivered by the
greatest critic In Russia. mastery
analyses of his technic by professors
of the dramatic art (Prof. Z. N. Saku-
lin, Mr.. Efros, Prof. S. X. Shambas-
hov. &c) and "reminiscences of his
early struggles by fellow actors who
had taken part In them.
Meanwhile the theater was packed
with a we'll dressed audience who
listened attentively for four hours to
speeches which an American audience
would not have tolerated for the same
length of time even II their greatest
literary or artistic figure were the OBJ
ject of them.
When the speeches came 10 an end
Yuzhin himself appeared on the stage
amid wild applause. He is a man Of
great height and imposing presence.
His black morning coat fitted per-
fectly and all the rest Of his attire
was In harmony with it. Finally, his
appearance was stage managed with
perfect skill. Overcome by emotion,
he pressed his hand to his heart and
bowed repeatedly TO the audience.
Then he clasped 10 his breast Davidoz,
veteran actor apparently over 30
years of age. no had acted as chair
man of the committee. and afterward
kissing the hand of an aged actress
who at the same time kissed him on
the forehead.
Finally Yuzhin made an extremely
appropriate speech Of thanks, and as
the curtain went down he was dab
bing his brow with an extremely white
cambric pocket handkerchief. whose
appearance was probably meant to
suggest tears and emotion. The pro-
ceedings closed with an excellent mu-
sical program. which made Il clear to
me that. heavily as artistic Russia
has suffered by the emigration of her
The New York herald., 1922-11-05

Fascista army. first In Bolzano. ana
then in Trent inflamed the minds OF
the bilingual population and provoked
serious repercussion in Austria itself.
The Trent incident shocked the pub
lie at large more than any recent act
on the part of the insurgents because
il exaggerated race hatred between
the countries just at the moment
when mutual trust was most desira-
BILE. At the same time, by the occu-
patton OF the public buildings and the
ultimatum demanding the resigna.
ton of the Governor OF the province.
Credaro. 1t defed directly State au-
thority.
To cap the climax Mussolini, after
the occupation, addressed telegram
to Schanzer asking that Italy refuse
to send Austria the second half OF her
loan because of the anti-Italian COM
ments in the Austrian press"
Another feature of the Fascista for
eign policy is great hatred OF Eng
land. These super-nationalists con-
denim the British policy In the Near
East and Egypt and declare that the
Mediterranean should be the exclusive
policy OF the peoples who live on its
shores. Mussolini said in late num-
Der of the party organ PopoIo dItdiid:
"It is not to Italy's interest to help
preserve British navy; on the con-
trary, 1t is Italy's business to help de-
stroy it."
Comments on the party in the Euro
pean press have become more and
more chilly. The London Times de-
plores the recent activities OF the
Fascist, and the Paris Temps says in
a recent editorial:
1.-THE trouble with the Fascist is
that they have copied their tactics
from the worst revolutionary elements
and are opposing established authority
with incredible audacity. A reaction
ary coup de force is as bad in its ef-
feet as a revolutionary one"
The New York herald., 1922-11-05

best actors and musicians. she etill
has great actors and musicians and
musical conductors left.
II is doubtful indeed IL Russian art
can ever flourish outside OF Russia.
The Moscow Artistic Theater, which
has just left Russia TO fulfill a series
of engagements in America. will. IL Is
true, give the American public good
idea of the best Russian theatrical
art, but the Russian musicians and
actors who have stayed abroad for
good and got absorbed in the artistic
atmosphere of other countries cannot
any longer be regarded as Russian.
Yuzhin. 1 might remark before I
leave him. is a great Shakespearean
student and actor but perhaps the
greatest good that he has done to
Russia is his carrying on the old dra-
matte tradition across the stormy gulf
OF the last five years. He has re-
mained all that time at the head OF
his theater and has always kept a
strong theatrical company around
him. At one time he suffered priva-
tions; even now he does not get more
the Government. In his theater there
is nothing OF the wild futurism and
cubism one sees in some other Mos
COW theaters.
Here 1 might say that, despite the
enormous prices charged for tickets,
the theaters are always crowded. and
that II is impossible to get ticket In
any OF them unless one books for
weeks ahead. MIR. G. B. Shaw's dream
Of empty churches and full theaters
on Sunday is beginning to be realized
here. Perhaps it is because that
while the clergymen have faltered,
the actors have stood firm. Conse-
quently Patriarch Tikhon ia to-day a
prisoner I'm the Donskoi Monastery,
while Mr. Yuzhin is playing Othello
to crowded houses with an energy one
would hardly expect from n man of
nearly 20.
I This evening attended a per-
formance Of the ballet in the Great
The New York herald., 1922-11-05

when II controls the State Is declared
to be one which will restore the pres
tige and authority of the State among
it's citizens. The freedom Of the In
dividual is not only limited socially, 1t
should also be limited in accordance
with the needs of the State.
The chief point In the foreign policy
is the accomplishment OF Italy's COM
plete geographical and historical
unity" her establishment as the bull
wark of Latin civilization on the Medi-
terranean" and her complete political
mastery OF her present provinces. The
Fascist have no faith in the vitality
of the principle of the League Of Ma
tons, because not all nations are rep
resented in the League. and those that
are are OF unequal status" Cordial re-
lations with the peoples OF the Near
East are recommended. An imposing
army and navy are on the program.
One of the things that the conserva-
tive forces of the country dread most
about the Fascist in foreign policy Is
their opposition to the Treaty OF Ra-
pallo and their activities on the Dali
matian coast, which have already been
Slavia- It has been stated that the
Fascist have 10000 troops ready to
occupy Zara, the third zone OF dis
pute" between italy and Jugo-Slavia,
the moment Italy withdraws her
troops In conformity with the Protocol
of Santa Margherita. The Ffume dis
orders of last March were the direct
work Of the Fascist, and to those
leaders of Italy sincerely desirous of
sealing peace with Jugo-Slavia, the
point Of view of the Fascist seems
mischievous In the extreme.
Italy Was Embarrassed
By Trentino Incidents
Italy also was seriously embarrassed
in her attempts to share in the reha-
bilitation of Austria by the recent
"Trentino Incidents" where a roaring
The New York herald., 1922-11-05
Urged Prudence After
Victory Was Gained

on the close OF the war he went
back TO his newspaper and urged that
the fruits of victory be not squan-
dered. In the autumn OF 1920. when
the workers invaded the factories and
the tide of communism was running
strong, he organized the first nucleus
of Fascist. through which he sought
TO mobilize peasants and middle
classes against the radicalism of the
workers. From that time on the de-
velopment Of the Fascist, the political
and defense weapon forged by Mus
solini. was the principal italian poliu-
cal phenomenon The climax came in
July and August. 1922, when the writ
ing on the wall began 10 foretell what
was coming. A general strike was
called. but the Fascist ended 1t within
twenty-four hours.
Turning again to the book recently
written on him, the following descrip-
ton will be found:
"Ie rehabilitates the usefulness OF
eloquence as an orator He gives a,
vital significance TO the spoken word.
He hates speaking, but when he does
speak IL is out of internal necessity.
His addresses are always straightfor-
ward logical and clear cut. There In
seldom need for rhetoric or emphasis.
lie speaks as If engaged in a gigantic
conversation. He is one, the others
are 1000 or 10000. simply because he
has the faculty and assurance Of talk
ing TO a crowd as II 1t were a single
individual.
"He is an aggressive orator. He
faces tho nublic as IL IL were a single
opponent lie gets at it. He shakes
&C. look into its heart and enlightens
t. The crowd which prefers a master
90 a follower is gripped by his talk. as
mis- personal magnetism is enormous
one Of his principal assets Is action,
che other is moderation. Sure Of him.
self he never takes advantage Of his
enemies"
The New York herald., 1922-11-05
Swear to Consecrate All
To the Nations Welfare

The rules just adopted for the disci-
pline of the Fascista army begin as
follows:
''The Fascista party Is always a
militia. The Fascista militia Is at the
service of God and the Italian mother
land and takes the following vow: In
the name of God and Italy, in the
name of all those fallen for Italy's
glory, I swear to consecrate all and
forever to the welfare of Italy,"
According to the rules the Fascisto
knows only duty. His obedience must
be blind, absolute, respectful" The
Fascist sense Of honor is described as
that of the medieval knight. based OH
an absolute idealism and larger than
printed laws. From all enemies of
Italy he must demand an "eye for an
eye. burning for burning, wound for
wound"
Waverers from the strict path laid
down will be judged by military tri-
bunal. Disloyal members will be ex-
PEELED, disobedient ones punished and
probably expelled, and traitors visited
with the most extreme punishments
The New York herald., 1922-11-05
Reared as a Catholic,
Fellowship Now His Greed

The new leader was brought up in
the Catholic Church, but ceased to at
tend mass during his early life, when
he studied anarchist doctrines. Mel
ther his wife nor his children take an
interest in religious affairs. Italy is
his god and fellowship his creed. He
pronounces and practices his creed
with constant fidelity.
Generous to a fault, Mussolini has
never wanted for money and will
never be rich, for al he gets Is ready
TO be given to his friends or TO the
cause. Not caring for clubs or even
for the society OF friends, his hours at
home are spent in reading, chiefly his
tory and philosophy. AS in the case
of other great leaders of the last CEN
tury. Napoleon holds strange fascina-
ton for Mussolni and he voraciousls
reads everything obtainable about the
Little Corporal" whether 1t is writ
ten In French. Spanish. German. Ital-
ian or English, all of which languages
he mastered by home study and speaks
with incredible fiuency.
To say that Mussolini ignores his
friends, who are legion, would be an
exaggeration, but he never shows
thsm preference, unless 1t be to seek
out faborers to obtain their views in
ptead OF the well to do members OF
rs party. Even while dining he seems
sngrossed In thought, eating far too
quickly, and apparently paying no at
tention to the nature of the food set
before him. Occasionally he has wine
with his meals, but very little, and he
rarely smokes cigarette.
Mu~<Jlinrs average day consists Of
The New York herald., 1922-11-05
By FRANCIS MecULLAGH.

Special Correspondence to THE NEW YORK
HERALD.
Copyright, 1879, BY THE NEW York HERALD.
Moscow, Oct 10.
VERY Bolshevik here when asked
r. to explain the complete change
- which has taken place in Com
munal policy during the last year. re-
plies briskly and convincingly, "Its the
N. E. p" (new economic policy, as II
those three words excused everything
They might as well say. TITS the c. s.
o. A. c. p" Complete surrender of all
Communist princlples). And, as n
matter of fact. so ignorant are the
rank and file Bolsheviks here that II
they were ordered by their leaders to
repeat those letters or the correspond
ing Russian initials I believe they
would do so.
Lenin used to make merry about
the way in which Democratic leaders
in the West impose meaningless
catchwords on the crowd, but no
catchwords ever manufactured are
quite so meaningless as those turned
out in the Kremlin. The usual Com
munist grafton is also meaningless.
or, at best, a series of machine made
platitudes. After having listened to a
number Of these speeches / have come
to the conclusion that a typical Boil
shevik speech for use on all occa-
sions could easily be prepared for use
on the phonograph. First there would
have to be reference to "interven-
tion and the blockade" All the evils
Russia has suffered from during the
last five years might be referred to
these two causes. have known
prominent Bolsheviks TO attribute
even the famine and the typhus epi-
demic to Intervention and the block
ade."
Then there would have 10 be a
The New York herald., 1922-11-05
After Fl G h t in G
Bravely Mussoli-
nj Urg ed Pru-
dence in the Hour
Of Victory

Special Correspondence to THE New York
HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau.
Washington, ID. C.. Nov. 4.
IRON a comparatively unknown
H newspaperman in 1914, when
i the world war broke loose on
Europe, to Prime Minister of Italy
in the space of eight years-that Is
the record of the new head of the
italian Government, DR.. Benito Mus
solini, who has emerged as leader OF
the nation in one of the most stormy
periods OF political cross currents In
that countrys history.
So meteoric has been the rise Of
the new Premier that only the sketch
lest account of his personal life. his
habits and characteristics is available
from the sources which would normal
ly be expected to supply them. His
history. however, is the history OF the
past eight years in italy and sufficient
facts are available to indicate what
manner OF man this new Premier is.
He is thirty-eight years of age
having been born IN 1884 at Forlia. a
small town halfway between Flor
ence and the Adriatic. He is the
youngest man ever to attain the rank
of Premier of Italy and review or
his history and rise from such ma
teriai as Is available clearly indicates
that he made his own way TO the top
of the political ladder and owes moth
ing to birth, or inherited political in
fiuence or fortune.
what arc the characteristics OF DR..
Mussolini?' a HERALD correspondent
inquired in official circles.
Action and moderation" was the
typical reply.
His rise is ascribed to the fact that
The New York herald., 1922-11-05
Father an Ardent Socialist,
With Belief in Education

From early youth Mussolini showed
a definite interest in social and polit-
ical affairs. The son of penniless
blacksmith, Mussolini was born in
1888 in Romagna. where political life
is always the hottest in all Italy. His
father was a rabid socialist, but he
recognized the value of schooling and
succeeded In impressing the impor-
tance of this on young Benito.
His great aptitude and his love for
books gave the boy the equivalent Of
an American high school education.
and the mass of radical pamphlets
which always poured into the Ro-
magma home developed anarchist ten
denotes in him before he was twenty.
Two years later he was at the head
OF a socialist group in Romagna and
directed a Red newspaper where he
exercised tremendous authority for
only 25 lire a month. Nevertheless,
he was contented and when his en-
ployers offered him more money he
refused on the ground that others in
the world were poorer than he.
He manifested the same utter dis
regard for his personal interests dur
ing the war when his superior off,
GERS, wanting to grant a favor to the
man they recognized as a potential
national power. offered him safe Job,
miles behind the front line, where he
was to write the regimental history.
Mussolini refused with the curt ex-
PLANTATION that his place was beside
his comrades where Italys dangers
were greatest.
From Romagna the young agitator
became a political refugee in Switzer-
land, whittier he beat In footrace the
italian gendarmes who had a warrant
for his arrest, arriving just ahead
of them in the frontier town of Chi
asso. The Swiss customs guards re-
fused to deliver him to his pursuers.
Later he was arrested as a vagabond
The New York herald., 1922-11-05
DOWN WITH SOCIALISTS
AND ALL FOR ITALY

had been gloriously Cancelled a new
industry had sprung up out of the ne
cessity of war. Italy had proved her.
self as a nation. The Fascist, there
fore. found two cries which met imme-
date favor-"Down with the Social
lists" and "All for Italy"
The party has among its members
the most energetic, thoughtless. de-
voted and ruthless young men of the
country. 1t has disciplined army of
$4,000, potential and dangerously un-
disciplined army of 100000. million
members of its trade unions and at
least another million sympathizers. 1t
has perfected an elaborate military Or
ganization.