San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1926-04-26
WORRIED.
BY POWER Of
MUSS0L|N|
T threat of Ever-groWing
Imperialism Agitates
Fascist Followers.

BASLE, Switzerland. April 20
R-Will Mussolini imperialism
menace the movement for European
reconciliation and reconstruction be.
gun at Locarno and represented perm.
anently by the League of Nations
This is a question which a special
correspondent of the Associated Press
who has just left Italy, found agitat,
ing many minds there, even trans
cending in interest the internal sit
uation in which Mussolini is believed
to have established undisputed dicta-
torship and, complete mastery of the
state.
All responsible information obtain
ed in Rome indicates that Mussolini,
realizing that lack of raw material
handicaps the country from the very
start, wants more colonies, in this
respect duplicating the ambitions of
the Germans, who want the restora-
ton of some of their lost colonies with
which to provide additional raw ma.
terial TO feed home industries.
ENTER BALKANS.
Last year Italy's unfayorable trade
balance reached S,O00,OOO,OOO lire.
Her imports, chiefly wheat and oil,
from the United States alone aggregate
4,OOO,OOO,OOO lire more than her ex-
ports, to the United States. Wheat
purchases in the United States con-
stitute the biggest item in the Italian
trade balance and to offset this
Mussolini has launched his spectacular
battle Of grain" in which the peasants
OF the peninsula country are contribut-
ing to national solidarity by endeay-
oring to augment the harvest.
Where, however, will Mussolini get
his desired colonies? That is another
question which is anxiously put at
Rome. The recent landing of an
Italian military contingent on the Dor
der Of Somaliland, East Africa, in
dicates to observers that the Fascist
premier presumably will, like the
japanese in Manchuria and Shantung.
endeavor to create "zones of influ-
ence IN AFRICA.
EYES BALKANS.
This policy already has begun as
regards Abyssinia, which joined the
league primarily to prevent encroach-
ments on her sovereign rights. In a
stricter economic sense, reliable in
formation shows that Mussolini will
endeavor to bring the entire Balkan
peninsula within the domain of Italy's
commercial expansion. This program
has been begun by the establishment
of relations of amity and collabora.
ton with Greece and negotiations with
Jugo Slavia looking to the creation
of pact Of security under the aegis
of Italy and France.
The Roman government with its ex-
tensive merchant marine. hopes to cap
ture the Russian market by the easy ac-
cess of italian ships from the Medi-
teranean to the Black Sea and seeks
to purchase wheat and oil from Rus
STA at a price less than that il pays
the United States.
SOUGHT PROVINCES.
An unauthenticated report is going
the rounds in diplomatic circles in
Rome that in payment for throwing
her forces on the side of the allies
against the central powers, once her
allies, Italy has dreamed of the an
nexation of the French provinces OF
Savoie and Nice, which passed to
France from Italy under Napoleon
III. The story continues that France
refuses even to consider such a sug-
gestion that. should France in the
future be forced into war, Italy I'M
doubtedly would demand Savoie and
Nice as consideration for any mill
tary help to France.
Also Italy is said to desire TO
spread her influence 10 the French
protectorate Tunis.
WAR RUMOR DENIED.
The correspondent found in Italian
circles scant admiration for the
League Of Nations or for that form
Of international cooperation for which
the league especially stands. 1t Is
generally accepted that MussOlini has
produced a nationalstic spirit which
leaves little room for the internation-
alism represented by Geneva.
Nevertheless, il is not believed in
responsible quarters in Rome that
MussOlini would push his ambitions
so far as to drive Italy into a war
Of aggression.
The Italian war office is declared |
by the correspondent of the Daily |
Herald of London TO be bUsily engaged |
IN military preparations. He says he
Is informed that the Italian army |
'taff has received urgent instructions
to have everything prepared for
by June. The CORE
lpondent reports intense activity along