The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-23
Rx MARIA sERMoLINO
ROME. Dec. 22.-Interview M

By MARIA sERMoLINO
 ~ ROME, Dec. 22.-'Interview Mus
 ssolini."
 ~s Those were the instructions cabled
 4me from the home office in the
 ~United States. Direct, simple, nc
 Possibility of misunderstanding but
 asMussolini is. MUSSOLINI! Further
 r,nore, he was leaving Rome the fol
 Blowing day on tour of cities in
 Snorthern Italy in celebration of the
 -anniversary of the march on Rome.
 q had to work quickly.
 2 At Palazzo Chigi the magnificent
 Building on Piazza Venezia, which
 xwas built by the Venetian republic
 ~to house the ministers she sent to
 @Rome, I tried to see his chief of
 Staff Commentators Barone Russo. It
 Twas after 12, and no one Is supposed
 .to be announced after that hour bu.,
 s5 am a woman. That makes great
 sdeal of difference in Italy. Women
 --callers at the foreign office are
 ascarce, so when they do call it is
 sassumed that their mission Is i'm
 Aportant. Furthermore, if one has
 sthe foresight to look pleadingly into
 xthe eyes of the attendant and whisper Io him almost confidentially that one
 smust see the person asked for, the spro Liabilities are that the attendant ewill answer with an understanding Hook tah ha here is a romance) and EDEGdk dil IHc Iul6S III ilIS SdS HVl llS SS tc help.
 < saw Barone Russo. I mounted a magnificent marble staircase and en- fered an immense salon whose walls Were hung with tapestries and sombre nasterpieces. This was the general Waiting room. From there l jour neyed to another salon, the waiting room for deputies, then into the sen ators' waiting room, the private wait ing room for members of the cabinet End the one for ambassadors. Final 1v I entered the office" of Barone < Russo-a small square room, high ceiling, walls upholstered in red silk brocade, an open fireplace in eX- quisitely carved marble, a few arm chairs in gilt and red plush. table With a few books well ordered, ana Dads and paper holders in painted Feather; absolute silence, no ticking of typewriters. no telephone bells, no slamming of elevator doors; such was < the office of Mussolnfs chief of Staff.
 ( She Enters The Presence.
 NI pleaded with Barone Russo to 2 let me ride on the special train which 2 was to take Mussolini and his party 4 from Rome to Turin on the morrow i There I would try to interview him. { He listened to my tale and ther. < wait. I'll be back presently" ard ! out he went.
 For five minutes I caressed the { soft. thick carpet under my ,Ie, teet, au1 hired the fresroes on the ceiling ard fried to keep from worrying as to < what would happen to me. Then he \ "You are a lucky girl. The Duce q fpronounced du-chey and means leader), will see you at once." @ "Oooooohhh!" I inhaled deeply, and z then my heart stopped beating. Was @ this his idea of luck? To be taken !. thus unawares and ushered into th" < presence of the big chief? l couldA | < escape for there in the doorway stood q the sheriff who had instructions to { kad me to him. I suppose l followea ; him for l soon found myself on the 2 threshold of an open door which led w into a great salon.
 S sI peeked in timidly and walked in, ;s down toward two figures l saw < Standing in the farther end of the s Boom. When I got within few x Yards I stood stock still. There be- X fore me- in the flesh, stood Mussolini, N Duce of the fascisti, prime minister < Of Italy.
 N I looked elsewhere. at more com ~ monplace things-the window, the N table, the chair, the carpet and then J my eyes rested on a pair of boots. E Boots, In an office? Funny. And % they were topped by riding brooches. % Queer Whose were they? Not. ...? z Furtively I raised my eyes and pres F ently I found I was staring boldly @ at the Duce. Yes, the boots were q his He was dressed in riding q habit I remembered he rode for a z half hour every morning before com z ing to Palazzo Chigi. That seemed x human, matter of-faGt, and somehow ' the thought gave me the courage to 2 contemplate the figure standing be- & fore me.
 % stands As For a Picture.
 \ He stood there erect, still. as ~ though posing for a time exposure. z He wore mask of severity over his N face and l say mask" because it -e seemed conscious. His stern express ~ sion never changed as he listened at E tentively to what the young officer ~ was saying to him. When he opened X his mouth to answer he seemed like x a stage character talking; his answer z was explicit, definite. in finished sen 2 tences. He spoke as few people x write. The officer saluted, left, and z Mussolini turned squarely toward me. Y "Who are you?" There are lot g of nice ways of asking strangers to E introduce themselves but evidently ~ Mussolini believes in violent, direct z methods. He thundered the words at me and scowled.
 = told him who I was
 ~ What do you want?" My, what %a temper, and how fierce he looked! Fl He stared at me with his penetrating A brown eyes almost defying me to ss talk. I hate to admit it, but I stam- Wmered as l answered:
 M s"Fascismo has now been year In " power. What has it accomplished?" M Would that I had never asked the Sauestion He turned on his heel and %walked away from me. Then, ab- ~ruptly, as he reached the massive xtable upon which were piled books xand papers, he looked up and said @"Any Intelligent person ought to %know that. Can't you see? Can't you Bread? We have done much, very &much," and he seemed annoyed that &anyone should dare ask such a fool Sish question.
 3 Ts'Yes, know" I insisted, but what do you consider Fascismos ~Rreatest accompli shment?"
 O O O
 SFascists Make 1885 New Laws.
 we have made 1885 new laws" %Hs waved his hand as If that would 3di smiss the subject.
 N But. didn't Italy have too many
 Ava on the books which she didn't