New Britain herald., 1929-11-08
MUSS0L|NI LATEST
 TARGET 0F HEFLIN
Government Ye1ed by Italian Interference With Americans

Washington, Nov. s.-Senator J. Thomas Heflin of Alabama, who has beon fighting the pope. has now declared war against the other fel- lew over in Rome, Premier Benito Mussolinif
 The reports concerning Fascist | lactics toward Americans of Italian 1 descent, as revealed since the ap- pearance of a leading article in | iiarper's Magazine with tho provoC. 1tive title "Mussolin's American Empire" by Marcus Duffield, caused | Heflin to demand the State Depart mcnt provide the Senate with all | available information regarding Fas- cst activities in this country.
 Borah's Peeved, Too
 They also stirred up Senator | William E. Borah. chairman Of the | Senate Foreign Relations Commit | tee, when he read them.
 Sooner or later" Borah com- | mented, that situation will have to | be considered in this country"
 Borah expects that the question l of Fascist American activities will | be threshed out on the Senate floor | and has been disposed to raise the | issue himself. He has been delay | ing any such offensive, however. | lest it complicate the forthcoming | flve-poWer naval conference, to l which ltalV is a n3rtV
 The charges made by, Duffield | have been heard in part before. It i is alleged that the Fasclst League or North America, operating in 1 New York under the direction Of | Mussolini and his Fascist leaders l and with local branches throughout 1 the United States. has tried per sistently to discourage the Ameri- canlzation of Italians in this coun- try, to stifle all criticism of, Musso- lini and to silence American op- ponents Of Fascism. Italians living in America. it is charged, are compelled to join the Fascist League by thrcaE of im- prisonment directed against their relatives in Italy This method has proved effective.
 Among Dufficld's most serious charges, however. is one upon which this government is able to -2ke prompt and vigorous action If t desires. That concerns the dis appearance of American citizens of Italian birth or descent who are suspected of Anti-Fasc5t senti- ments and who are not allowed to leave Italy once they have returned there, The Italian theory is that Italians are always Italian citizens and subject to Italian Jurisdiction Under Italian law, Americans -~ of Italian descent are subject to mili- tary service, though Mussolini has been cautious in the carrying out Of this law.
 Secretary of State Stimson is known to be concerned about the Fascist methods, but even more than Borah he is in the position of being able to do little about them pending the naval conference.
 Another sample of the common attitude here toward the Fascist and Mussolini in particular was Gi1cn a year or two ago when the Italian dictator's name was pro- posed for nonresident membership in tho National Press Club, whose membership includes nearly all Washington correspondents. Mem bcrs of the club raised such a loud protest that Mussolini was not ad- mitted.
 Congressman Clyde Kelly of Pennsylvania has announced that he will take the issue up with President Hoover. Last year Kelly Introduced q resolution. 'subsc- quenty passed by both houses. de- manding treaties providing that all American born and naturGlized per sons should not be held liable for military service "or any other act of allegiance" during a stay of a year or less in the territory of the sienatory nations.
 This resolution was directed at Italy. Kelly had found that the State Department could give no as- surance that an American. born of naturaized Italian parents, would not be seized and impressed into