Evening star., 1933-02-12
TALKS WITH MUSSoLINI BY Emil Ludwig
Boston: Little, Brown Co.

AA ing he does not intend to tell
The first italian edition OF this
book was approved by Musso-
lini himself From 18 conversations the ex-
perienced German biographer draws the funda-
mental philosophy of government and the views
on many specific matters of the Italian dc
tasor. Though an admirer OF the Duce, Dr.
ludwig does not agree with many OF his
political opinions. This makes the book the
more interesting. His admiral on for the re-
markable personality of the man who has for
so long held Italy-King, church and people
under his control, by coercion and by prag-
matte diplomacy, is mixed with frank puzzle
ment. The conferences took place in the large
hall of the Mappa Mundi of tn, Palazza dt
Venezia at Rome, during late March and early
April, 1892 with the two participants sitting
on opposite sides of a long. handsomely carved
table The frontispiece is a reproduction OF
photograph Of the scene, autographed by MUS
solni.
Emil Ludwig has not perhaps invented the
literary form of a biography in dialogue; Plato
did something of the sort for Socrates and his
doctrines. Boswell did it later for d.. Johnson.
It is a method well adapted to bring out
personality in sharp relief. OF course the con-
versations were planned by Ludwig in advance,
so that at their conclusion a fairly complete
biography should be the result The conversa-
tions were in italian and each one was recorded
by Ludwig in German as soon as it was fin
ished No outside material has been intro
duced IT have made no use of the numberless
anecdotes current in Rome; and have ignored
the reports of Mussolinis collaborators, in
formative though these are. In a word the
talks consist Of what actually passed in con-
versation between Mussolini and myself"
few direct quotations OF questions and
answers will best indicate the character and
value of the book @. What about hunger?
Was hunger, likewise, one Of your teachers?"
A. Hunger Is good teacher. Almost as
good as prison and mans enemies NY
mother, who was schoolmistress, earned 50
lire a month; my father, blacksmith, now
more, now less. We lived in two-room tene-
ment. Rarely was there any meat on the table
from one weeks end to another There were
passionate arguments and. quar-els: ardent
hopes. My father sent to prison as .
Socialist agitator. When ne died thousands
of his comrades followed his body to the grave
side AL this provided a definite trend to my
aspirations" 9. Don't YOU think that many
young men are only anarchists because they
have no chance of becoming rulers?" A. "Of
course. every anarchist Is a dictator who has
missed fire." @. "You have written harsh
words about the masses . . But if the masses
give YOU no revelation, how can they have
any effect on you?" A. "For me the masses
are nothing but a herd Of sheep SO long as
they are unorganized. am nowise antagontstic
to them All that deny is that they are
capable of ruling themselves But If you would
lead them, you must guide them by two reins,
enthusiasm and interest. He who uses one only
Of these reins is in grave danger" O. why
do you muzzle the press?" A. g" When
there is no censorship. the papers publish only
what their paymasters, large-scale industry
and the banks, want to have printed. =
sometimes think that any four-footed jackass
could write better than these fellows do. Espe-
cialy do I think so when I read attacks"
Because Of its unique subject its original
method and the skill of Ludwig recorder,
Talks With Mussolini," has much vitality.