Evening star., 1924-08-31

the eye, talked unnuTrleQiy with
him on outstanding issues. Italian
and American, and have come to
one definite conclusion-Mussolini
knows exactly what he wants and will
not easily be prevented from getting it.
He has about him a squareness of jaw
and shoulder and a sledge-hammer
manner of utterance that betoken
both a fierce determination to have
his way and rough going for those
who oppose it.
Nowadays Signor Mussolini, like
good children, may be seen but not
heard. For publication purposes he
is incommunicado. The condition of
a correspondents penetration into his
well guarded fastness in the Plazzo
Chigi is that the Prime Minister shall
not be quoted. Those fellow-knights
of the portable typewriter who have
been permitted in the past to put
Mussolini between quotation marks
were fortunate enough to gain his
presence in less troublous times than
those now threatening to blacken
Italy's incomparably blue skies.
MuxsoIini Talked Freely.
xAIussolini talked with me freely.
Part of the time I was the inter-
viewed and not the interviewer. He
revealed a keen curiosity about vari-
GUS phases OIL III Tic
United States. He has an abundant
knowledge of our system of govern
ment. On all American questions
touching Italian interests Mussolini
holds unequivooal opinions. But as
our interchange of views was not an
interview. his contribution to the
discussion cannot be reproduced.
One or two of it's episodes may be
revealed without breach of confidence.
from a Summer cold" He was about
in the same, condition as the Wash
ington correspondents found Mr..
Coolidge a couple of months ago.
when the chemical gas experts of the
United States Army came to the Pres
ident's relief 1 suggested that Mus
solini might profitably experiment
with the same remedy. but as he was
a soldier in the World War and ex-
perienced the real thing in the way
of gas, my proposal evoked no en-
thusiasm on his part.
Consider Foreign Affairs.
Mussolini knows little English and
less Italian, so we reSorted to the
modus vivendi of German, in which
our chat proceeded gaily, If a little
mier Is shepherded on these occasions,
for his urbane chef du cabinet, the
Maruuese Palucci de Calboli-Barone,
who presented me, remained through
out our converZazione-the Italian
idiom is an exactly appropriate de-
scription Of our visit.
Although Italy has the full lions
share Of troubles of its own, it has
time to worry over it's external diff
culties.. A weeks careful inquiry In
responsible official quarters revealed
1c CT he 4
tect of more than one Of Italy's woes.
As a previous article indicated, our
new immigration laws stand in the
forefront Of Italy's trials and tribu-
lations. They are considered nothing
short of an insult to the Italian peo-
pie. The writer heard them described
in precisely those terms.
Will Fight Immigration Law.
1t is not likely that Italy Is going
to take the low quota assigned it
3,845 immigrants year, compared to
the 250,000 or 100000 1t used to send
us-"lying down." Certain Italians
foreshadow a campaign" to amend
the laws in Italy's favor, or at least
to revise them in some manner that
will be more satisfactory to a country
that has a waiting list of 100000
people craving for a new existence in
another Cline preferably our own.
Italy is persuaded that the johnson
bill is in reality the "Gompers BILL"
and in Fascist circles at Rome Samuel
Gompers is denounced as a Socialist"
That is the quintessence of obloQuy
that can be heaped upon any man in
Italian official quarters at this writ
ing.
The writer happened to be in Italy
in the week that Secretary Hughes
In, T2al nd
doubtedfy his "boycotting" of Rome
was deeply resented there. Mr..
Hughes not. only visited the three
other allied capitals-London, Paris
and Brussels-but then proceeded to
the late enemy's capital, Berlin. The
omission of Rome might have passed
more or less unnoticed III Ell Mundo,
ono Of the fercest newspaper oppo-
nents- Of Mussolini had not seized.