Evening star., 1924-05-29
III.
BY EDWARD PRICE BELL.

Special Dispatch TO The Star and Chicago
Daily News. Copyright. 1924.
ROME, May 29.-"What is your feel
ing about the war debts?" Sig. Mus
solini was asked in the course OF my
interview with the famous Italian
statesman.
That they should be paid" he
said Debts must be paid. If debts
are not paid. there is an end Of
credit, and 1t is much better to give
up money than to give up credit.
Credit is the bedrock Of civilization. {.
your Alexander Hamilton was quite
right about that. Italy will pay.
She cannot pay imm mediately. She
tional economic and financial con-
solidation. She must have time to
work and save"
You are an idealist, Sig. Mus
solini?"
Yes. but an idealist who believes
In the systematic and quick conver-
sion Of ideals into bettered conditions
of human life"
nalism best serve each other and
humanity"
by an aggressive and tireless as
sertion of mental and moral energy.
BY uttering only the truth. BY fear
ing nothing but infidelity to the
truth. BY constant readiness to sac
rfice themselves for their fellow
men"
What would b. your watchword
for public men and writers?''.
"EaSciSmo S-'Duty.'
Character the Basis OF All.
'All the time you base yourself
upon the moralities?"
There is nothing else for one to
base ones self upon. This is the first
tenet OF fascismo-moral character is
primary. From the first Fascist have
understood that there could be no
political rebirth without moral re-
birth. Physical force, as / have said.
sometimes is necessary-Abraha ham
Lincoln. | repeat. found it necessary
to impose superior principle, but
order, above all, ought TO be defend
ed in the conscienceS of the citizens.
Modern states can rest upon nothing
but "A general sense of duty to the
fatherland. For this reason the
moral health OF a people is bound up
indissolubly with the political for
tunes of the country. Fascismo's
Immediate task. after breaking the
resistance OF the caste of politicians
that opposed the rebirth of Italy,
was to organize the new state
fascismos ultimate and much great
er task is to deepen and solidify the
country's civic morality. Hence our
parole de jour. Duty"
What do you say of classic cul-
ture?"
That, for us. is the basis of every
true civic education. | do not wish
to appear to express a principle of
universal validity, but | believe that,
If the classic culture is for us indis-
pensible to our elf-consciousness. it
is for every people one of the most
powerful instruments Of civiIiZa-
ton"
What is your favorite art"
Music. Because it is the most
communicable Next | like archi-
lecture. poetry. sculpture, painting"
Art Promise Of A mericn.
What do you think of Materfincks s
dictum that America has the cruelest
commercialism the world ever has
known?"
This Belgian is great poet
doubt if any of his contemporaries
equal him as psychic analyst But
only lack of imagination can blind
one to the stupendous art promise of
the United States. n is still mainly
promise. to be sure. for Americans
have been busy over other things. But
one day IL will dazzle the world. One
day the Americans will lead civiliza-
tion in the fine arts, dimming even
the greatest glories of the past. 1t
all is sleeping in their destiny. In
tense and mighty in material things