Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-15

So
The late EIednOra DuSe, famous Italian
actress, roas one Of the noteworthy lOUes
Of d AnnunziO.
doors slammed in his face! The fight over
Vienna, the glorious episode of Fiume the
amorous adventures, the literary fame-an were
forgotten. Mussolini had washed out lifetime
of glory with the single gesture Of his march on
Rome and given the people a new favorite to
worship. So the angry poet sulked in his tent
and plotted revenge. Should he write poem,
a play a book to make his enemy look ridicu-
lOus? He was past master in the art of shap-
ing sentences that cut like razor blades and he
could set all Italy laughing.
81 LOSE more sleep over D'Annunzio than over
all my other enemies" Mussolni told
some Of his principal associates of the Fascist
Grand Council at about that time I'D rather
have pack Of angry bees thousand ~Ee-
vengeful women at my heels. We cannot take
him into Fascism, for he would try to run 1t,
and If we keep him on the outside he will try
to wreck it. If he starts any trouble we dare
not arrest him, and still it will be dangerous to
leave him at liberty. I suppose that is the pun
ishment of all dictators-to have some bad boy
who is too influential to be crushed"
The Duce finally hit upon the Machiavellian
scheme of killing the temperamental poet with
kindness, as the saying goes
In the early part of 1924 he had King Victor
Emmanuel give D'Annunzio the title of Count
of Fiume. A few months later the government
presented him with a magnificent estate called
MonteneVoso on Lake Garde, near Milan that
had been taken from an Austrian nobleman
during the war, and the King thereupon gave
him the higher title of Prince of Montenevoso.
In 1925 the Duce made famous pilgrimage TO
MODtRDeVOSO
a pipe of peace with the poet Did D'Annunzio
wish the italian gunboat Puglia, that figured In
the Fiume adventure, mounted on a mound in
his garden? Very WELL MuSSolini had it taken
apart, sent to him and mounted in the gardenl
Did he desire a carload-yes, full carload-of
blank shells every week for firing salutes to his
friends? He got them though shells come high
and lOl-gun salutes are bit exaggerated fcx a
mere lady friend. Did the poet long for six
spick-and-span sailors from the navy to man
his gunboat? Nothing more simple They
have been on duty on this land-locked ship
firing salutes and scrubbing down the decks
for the last five years. Would his vanity be
touched if the state published a national de
luxe edition of all of his works? BY all means
let 1t be done. Did he need more than 500 600
q year to maintain his huge estate and blv
knlckknacks? Had he expressed a longing for
newly advertised hair grower? D'AnnunzJo'x
mead is as bald as billiard ball and this is one
OF his secret sorrows) Send him a gross at
once. Was he becoming fretful for any reason?
order the state theater at Milan to put ON a
gala performance Of one of his plays Had he
turned his mind to collecting war souvenirs2
Hansack the museums and send him a carload
Did he think of going to the French Riviera for
a little visit?
An, my dear prince" Mussolini apparently
writes when the secret police telegraph this
alarm TO Rome, Il am delighted to hear that
your health now permits you to travel but
would 1t not be possible to postpone your VOYAGE
Tor few months? The government has inst
had the happy idea of commanding Signor x.
the famous artist, to make a hand-painted NOR
TRAIT OF you in your Fiume uniform for the state
galleries This project is very close to orr
heartS, and we shall be deeply disappointed n If
cannot be carried out this Summer. JJnfor
tunately, it will necesSitate your remaining at
nome Tor short time. Let us hope that Won
VIII DE able to undertake your journey in the
near future. Your admiring servant Benito
Mussoini"
A GREAT mass of responsible evidence seems
to indicate that DAnnunzio still nurses
grudge against the Duce, and that in spite of
the brides held out to him he frequently gets
the idea of going abroad, apparently with the
intention OF doing bit of Iampooning
1t also seems well established that when these
fancies strike the poet, the Fascist govern
ment prevents him from leaving though 1t