Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-28
The Mystery Of Mussolini.

Is Mussolini merely talking war and
really planning peace, or has he def
nitely embarked upon the creation of
Fascist empire by those cannon" which
yesterday he glorified at Rome as
mightier than fine words? 1t would
be difficult to conceive more disQuiet-
ing outburst from the head of Euro
pean state than II Duces fulminat:ons
on the eve of the eighth anniversary
of the Black Shirt conquest of Rome.
At moment when the whole world,
and In particular that part of it which
lies across the Atlantic, clamors for
calm and stability. Mussolini once
again shakes it to its foundations with
a Kaiseresque defamation.
The italian ruler demands revision
of the treaty of Versailles. 1t is ''only
toward the East" he thunders, that
we can direct our peaceful expansion"
Hence, he busters with disconcerting
candor, "our friendships and alliances"
Mussolini declares that Fascism's hard
ened policy" against its external foes is
justified by their plottings and prepara-
tons. To his frenzied partisans in
the Palazzo Venezia ON Monday, he
dramatically exhibited maps Of bat
teries posted, forts constructed and
ornaments predisposed and consign-
ed''-a palpable reference to extensive
new military works in Eastern France.
Predicting that "by 1850, Europe will
be on its last legs and decrepit," Mus
solini hints that Italy alone will be "a
country of young men," The implica-
ton. Of course, is that by that time the
banners of Fascism viii be firmly planted
all over the continent, with Dictator
ship supplanting popular government.
"Fascism," he tells us, sis an army on
the march, whose battle has become
worldwide" and which aims at the
creation of "the twentieth century
state, far different from states existing
before 1889, or formed later" That
takes in lot Of territory. Incidental
II, 1t embraces the United States Of
America.
In 1882 n Duce purposes staging
&ESI4oO S4ION aNOWCOAy OCoA6AACA w
stagger an unbelieving universe. On
the tenth anniversary Of the march on
Rome, he plans tthe greatest armed
gathering Rome has seen in its 5000
years of history" Fifty battalions of
Fascists, with $4,000 young Fascists,
end 10000 standard bearers Of 5000
combat groups are to gather In the
capital. Similar manifestations win be
organized in Milan, Perugia and Naples.
Mussolini would persuade the world
that Italy Is arming materially and
spiritually, to defend herself-not to
attack" Psscism, he asserts, never
will take the initiative Of war" Italy
"will disarm, if all disarm" Mean
time and conversely, she is arming,
relatively speaking, because all are
arming." He excoriates disarmament
proceedings at the League of Nations
as mixture of sham and hypocrisy.
"a childish game" he calls them.
Perhaps when a full decade Of II
Duce's dictatorship has passed into his
tory. We shall have a clearer perspective
Of it. TIL then. the mystery of Mus
solini is likely TO persist, unless in the
interval explosive words kindle a con-
Migration. Some unbiased observers
think that the Fascist car aims only
ct galvanizing Italian life with a spirit
Of virile nationalism which was lack
ing before he took charge of the coun-
try. To these observers, Mussolini cuts
the figure Of barker, rather than q
bitter. and one, moreover, who on the
whole is barking to the inestimable good
Of his people.
How conducive militant nationalism
thus processed is to the cause of peace
is open to question. There is an exiled
old autocrat in Holland who could tell
II Duce thing or two about the
disadvantages of saber-rattling.