Evening star., 1923-12-23
Americans Will Be Future Leaders of World Ciusation
Says Mussolini Of Italy Voning Coming Era Of Arts

European affairs?' / tried to lead
him on.
II make no suggestions The form
her participation takes matters little.
The time is more Important. but she
is not ready for the big leadership
yet.
"I have great faith in the Ameri-
can people as the future leaders Of
civilization, but that cannot be for
another thirty-five or forty years.
At present they are too engrossed
with their own mechanical CONNER
cial development. They are rapidly
reaching the climax of this de-
velopment-a marvellous, stupendous
thing-and then they will turn to
other things. with the same thor
oughness. initiative and youthful as
surance with which they conquered
the material world they will tackle
poetry, literature, music. and give the
world the greatest art Of all times"
The artistic prospects Of America
thrilled him. He was a different
Mussolini. He hammered his words
less and spoke with enthusiasm, with
animation. His severe eyes softened
to get him back on the question Of
international politics, but he would
not follow. He returned to art and
America and soon / found I was tell
ing him what 1 knew about the
artistic inclinations and achievements
of my fellow countrymen. The ice
berg was beginning to melt. The
statesman was becoming human.
Talks OF an American Renaissance.
Those who accuse America of be-
ing :nartistic are devoid Of imagina-
ton" he continued. America is
working out her antistic conscious
ness. You have there two distinct
tendencies-your simplicity, refresh
ing childishness, almost primitiveness
in all things emotional, and your
ultra-modernity in the mechanical
| fields. Consider a fusion of these two
elements. What a startling combina-
ton. Think of what it will give us.
+ Today you are still intellectual chill
dren. No, don't write that" and he
placed his hand over the pad had in
my lap, at would offend you, but 1
do not mean it as an offense. 1t is so.
d ].
You are spontaneous in your joys as
children are. Your minds are open
to new creeds and dogmas. Nothing
thrills you as much as novelty. To-
day it is the black -shirted fascist.
Tomorrow Pirandello."
The duce is we'll informed He
spends an hour every morning skim
| ming over scores of newspapers from
all countries and the news that
| Pirandellismo had become almost a
cult in America had not escaped him.
That is natural" he went on, "for
the theater of Pirandello has a primi-
| tive appeal Marionettes attract the
| fancy of children. Rirandello's plays
are intellectual puppet shows. Splen-
| did. I like them" and he smiled.
| He was glad to be considered among
the primitives who appreciate Piran-
dello.
Have you seen Pirandello's Henry
w." he asked.
nodded with enthusiasm.
That is the play | like best" he
volunteered. How different from the
| bourgeois theater, with its eternal
triangle, with the same complica- :
! tions which always end in the same
way, with the same pseudo-human
beings as characters. At times / try
| to go to some Of these normal plays,
| but l cannot tolerate them. They are
! too stupid. Pirandello is full Of sur
! prises. like fireworks for the mind
and with his hands the duce gave
| an animated imitation of fireworks
| popping.