Evening star., 1934-12-16


States, and still less with the
Archaeological Society of Washington. But last
night, before brilliant audience greeted by
AugustoRooso, Italian Ambassador, Washing
ton society listened with rapt attention to one
of the most remarkable stories ever told of the
linking of archaeology with the most practical
sort of colonial expansion, based upon the
physical necessities Of growing people.
Imperial Rome is coming to life anew in the
Dark Continent. Out of the blazing African
sands the genius Of Premier Benito Mussolini
and the tireless enthusiasm Of Gov Gen. Italo
Balbo, Italy's famed air marshal, are bringing
crops and inscriptions, olives, oil and classical
monuments. And the story was brought to
Washington because a professor Of Latin in
Cleveland asked the Archaeological Society Of
Washington to sponsor trip for him TO the
vast new-old colonial empire of TripoI and
Cyrenaica, in Northern Africa.
Years ago, when II Duce was merely growing
up as the rebuilder of Italy's war r-shattered
fortunes, he took momentous oath to the
army of Blackshirts he was leading upon Rome.
It was dramatic moment Disillusioned and a
prey to fears for the future Of their country and
themselves, the war veterans were in a plastic
mood Anything could happen. So when this
untried leader stood forth to address them,
much more than the fate Of Italy hung upon
his words.
DARIS Berlin, London, Washington all lis
] tened. And not one of these capitals cor
rectly interpreted the epoch-making words
II swear to lead our country once more in the
path Of its ancient greatness!" The world
thought it meant only another fantastic dream
of conquest by arms until as time passed and
the genuinely constructive pattern Of Musso-
liniS policy began to declare itself visibly,
world tension 1essened and hope was established
in the room Of fear. What Mussolini meant by
his prophecy was far greater and more substan-
tia1 han vision nf could
be. Guided and inspired by the history of
Rome's most brilliant period, he looked far into
the future and planned to bring back by peace
full, constructive means glory and stability
even greater than that of the Imperial City of
centuries ago, for his eye was set upon the pos
sibilities of Africa, the idea of italy as self
sustaining nation, and Northern Africa fer
tile, productive alive where it has long been
dead and minstering not only to the material
wants Of strong and lusty nation Of develop
ing powers, but to its cultural and spiritual
needs as well. How this ideal has been launched
successfully and is already attracting the close
attention of the other nations was the story
graphically presented through the courtesy Of
Ambassador RoSso and of the italian officials
In Rome and Africa.
Too little attention has been given right along
since Fascism has proved force to be reck-
oned with, to the fact that MusSolini has shown
himself to be the worlds most acute student Of
history Every one who has read Roman his
tory with any degree of attention has smat-
tering of the facts. But it remained for II Duce
to perceive in those facts which others had
read and failed to heed the solution of the
problems under which Italy of postwar days
was groaning. He alone realized that history is
always a continuing force, instead of a static
thing of interest only He knew that the buried
city of Leptis Magma, whose glorieS had been
lost under waves of desert sands for ages at one
time paid Rome tribute of a million pounds
of olive oil each year. He recalled that the poet
Horace, when he wished to show how rich
man was in his epoch, wrote that the fellow
possessed granaries in Libya. Could not Italy
divert the unemployment and discomfort of
thousands of its ardent subjects to these fertile
fields which were merely waiting the enthusi-
astic cultivation of youth and energy? Would
not such endeavor repay many fold all the effort
and anxiety required by retaining the desert
and assuring Italy food for her hungry chill
dren for the years to come and nourishing their
souls also by bringing back the buried monu-
ments and records of former Roman greatness
in her colonies?
The thing was so obvious, so simple, so en-