Evening star., 1924-01-20
BY DREW PEARSON.
- HE United States is much to
blame for Europe's chaos.

The American people are the
- poorest informed in the world
concerning Europe. But If they knew
the facts they would work out a
common sense" solution for Europe's
problems.
If America would back England,
France would back down.
These are some of the emphatic
statements made by Signor Francesca
Nitti. former prime minister of Italy,
after his>return from a year of vir-
tual exile.
That is the most significant event
in recent Italian politics. Ever since
| Mussolini and his fascist black
shirts stormed the Eternal City one
year ago, Nitti's seat in parliament
has been significantly vacant. No
one knew exactly where he was. To-
day few people know that he has re-
turned to Rome. But when l sur
prised him at his house the day after
his arrival. two of Mussolini's cara
biniri We're. on guard in the street
outside.
That is significant. For Roman
rumor says that If Nitti has returned
under the protection of Mussolini, it
is because the latter will use him in
his government
But in Rome rumor says anything,
so there you are.
Castor Oil Won.
Nitti gave the socialists advice;
Mussolini gave them castor oil. To-
day Nitti is a man without a party;
Mussolini rules Italy. All of which
means nothing. for in Italian poll
tics the man makes the party. the
party does not make the man: Thus
today Nitti's old followers root for
! Mussolini; tomorrow for dema-
gogue, and so on.
But Signor Nitti. party or no party.
stands head and shoulders over his
rivals as an economist and
international politician. Before Mus
solini deprived him of his jCh. he
was professor of economics in the
University of Naples, besides filling
an active seat in parliament. serv-
ing as minister of finance, minister
of the treasury. and finding time to
write a small library of internation-
ally famous books. On the table of
his study l saw copies of his works
published in the English. French,
German, Dutch, Swedish, Hungarian
and Russian languages. His most re-
! cent book, THE Tragedy of Europe;
What Will America Do?" was written
during his year of exile.
Signor Nitti looks as If his political
vacation had agreed with him. His
hair, perhaps. is a little whittier. and
his mustache, in contrast. seems a
little blacker. His double chin still
bulges over his seventee en-inch collar
and his eyes sparkle with good hu-
NOR as much or even more than ever.
He knows what he wants to say. and
he says il in short, crisp sentences
Spoke Frankly.
Perhaps because he had not talked
to 4 journalist for a year, Signor
Nitti threw political caution to the
| winds, and spoke with astonishing
frankness.
THE war has left two great pow
ers in Europe-England and France"
the ex-premier began, lighting a
cigarette and settling back for a long
conversation. England entered the
war because of Eelgium-so she said.
But all the world entered the war be-
cause of Belgium. In reality. Eng
land fought to crush German sea
power. Well, she accomplished this
France, also, had her secret war
aims. She wanted dismemberment of
Germany. Continental supremacy is
her tradition and history. Witness
France, Louis XIV, Napoleon, and
now-Poincare. AS far back as 1917
she began secret negotiations with
Russia for the breakup Of Germany.
The terms of the armistice were
drawn up with that end in view.
"The world first saw her designs
at the Washington conference, when
she refused to abolish the submarine.
Then she built an air fleet four times
the size of any other power. So Eng
land emerged from the war to find
that she had gained nothing. The
German navy was crushed, but a new
France could cut off the food supply
of her islands in twentyfour hours.