The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-08-27
BY RICHARD HOLLANDER

wa "FthAtF EprtAdA AufEfsDD0ufnk
ID ONE. Aug. 27.-The people of
IN Italy are ready for war. On
every hand there is visible proof
Of the military fever that has
spread across the land Of the
Caesars.
Uniformed men seem almost to
Outnumber civilians on the streets
Of the large cities. officers clank
their sabers in every cafe. and a
wartime discipline Of saluting
makes it hard for fellow strap
hangers in street cars.
The military IS in the saddle,
and the private citizen steps aside.
So strong, however. is the ma
tIOnal fervor in the present crisis
that there is no apparent resent
ment among these still in civvies.
Every one repeats that the Afri-
can war is inevitable. 1t will be.
you hear. natural step toward
Italy's realization Of her mani
fest destiny Empire.
September is expected to see
the opening of the drive against
the Emperor Halle Selassies black
tribesmen. Consequently, while
the military awaits its moment.
Italian business has already be-
gun a wartime boom.
n
CHOPKEEPERS and other
- small tradesmen are happy.
Taxes may be heavy and unem-
plOyment still a problem. but,
they repeat, the strong upturn is
at hand.
People buy more: they spend
more money Better times are
very near. they argue, and so
there is no need to be thrifty.
The entire spirit, the attitude
toward the war and toward bust
ness and industry in general, is.
Of course, based on a complete
faith in the dictator.
His popularity and power re-
main undiminished as far as his
own people are concerned, &C
cOrding to observers who have
been in Italy since before his tri-
umphal march on Rome.
His pictures hold first place in
every shop window, and advertise
ment calendars showing the die
tator in trench helmet are the
most popular of all, even out
drawing paintings of the Bay of
Naples and beautiful girls sitting
on rocks.
THE people sense the fact that
Il on II Duce's stand in the
Ethiopian situation the prestige
Of Fascism hangs in the balance.
They realize that for Mussolini
there can be no diplomatic turn
ing back and they feel that. any
way, only in another war can
come the true Towering of the
Fascit ideals which originally
lifted them from the chaos of
1918.
MusSOllni stresses in each of his
many dynamic speeches the glory
of milltariSm, and his effect on
the people is absolute.
To die for Italia-that is true
living" said a Venetian gondolier,
quoting the dictator's words al
most exactly.
In all the cities and from al
most every one with whom you
may speak you hear in Italy only
varied phraSings of MuSSolini's
speeches. There seems to be no
original thought. or, if there is,
it is kept safely in the dark.
To-day in Italy either you are
a Fascist or you are not" street
car conductor in Rome vouch-
Safed.
Or not what?" he was asked.
Just not anything-nothing, -
he replied.
THE habit of thinking in a
IL groove seems to have become
deeply set.
With war in the offing, interest
in Ethiopia has. OF course. be-
come intense here. Few people on
the street know anything about
the country of their expected foes,
but book shops all feature volumes
concerning it. Some of these
were written more than so years
ago. Maps of North Africa are
In almost every pocket.
Rumors have spread that there
are gold and oil in the mountains
OF Ethiopia. Some say the en-
peror'S private treasury holds
enough to pay ItalyS national
debt. All these are put down in
cold figures on the backs of en-