Imperial Valley press., 1937-03-03


IA years.
"Out of my organism have made
an engine constantly supervised and
controlled which runs with absolute
regularity" he said. In those words
he summarized his series of writ
ten answers to my QUESTIONABLE
regarding his mode of life. Mus
solini received me in his office in
Venice palace and chatted freely
before handing over his written
answers.
Probably no post war leader has
undergone such intense and con-
slant mental and physical activity
and responsibility over so long a
period. Yet Mussolini today, near
ing SIS, is bursting with vitality and
has not lost a days work from
illness since 1925.
His written answers to the ques-
tionnaire follow:
@. Do you follow a fixed diet
and if so what. A. My rules of diet
are fixed in the sense that I am
almost exclusively vegetarian.
@. Do you make use of alcoho
or tobacco? A. / consider alcoho
damaging to the health of individu
ais and to collective health. I an
not against the moderate use o.
tobacco but as far as / am con-
cerned. l never drink hard liquor
sometimes drink a little wine a
official dinners but since the Worlt
war I have never smoked.
@. What foods do you prefer
A. I eat only simple dishes sucf
as the peasants prefer, and mucf
fruit.
@. Do you take tea Or coffee Oh
any stimulating drink? A. I dt
not take tea or coffee but some.
times drink an infusion of Linder
leaves or Tilleul. For those who labol
physically, the moderate use of wine
Is useful.
@. How much time do you devote
to exercises daily, and TO what
A. I devote 80 TO As minutes tt
exercise daily, and practice nearly
all sports. prefer swimming In
summer, skiing in winter and horse
back riding every day. All mechan-
lied sports are familiar to me
bicycling, motorcycling, automobile
and flying-and I also enjoy hiking
Though my dueling days are over
still believe fencing is excellent
exercise to keep the body fit.
@. What are your habits regard
ing sleeping? A. I sleep between
seven and eight hours a night regu-
larly, between II pm. and z am.
fall asleep at once no matter
what I have done or what has hap
pened to me during the day. / use
no expedients to invite sleep and
take no siesta during the day Sizes
tas are the consequences of over
eating at luncheon.
@. What are your mental relaXa-
tions and your preferences in read
ing? A. In my very few hours
of relaxation, read both ancient
and modern books-especially books
of political or historical character.
But I do not exclude novels if they
give rise to public interest. Gen
orally speaking, I like to be up
to-date on new publications. I have
very little time to 60 to the theater,
where I prefer gay, lyric music
the warlike and passional lyric form
of Verdi and Wagner, and the jo-
cundity of Rossini. Don't be sur
prised if I tell you that hold no
antipathy against jazz. I find jazz
dance music amusing. I do more
reading in summer than in winter.
I believe I read about 70 books a
year. They include books in French.
German and sometimes in English.
@. What are your working hab-
its? A. My days have fixed audi
ences with the heads OF admins
tration and occur in the mornings
between 8 am. and l pm. in the
afternoons / grant other audiences
which vary from five to 20, between
pm. and 8 pm I work between
IL and IA hours each day. MY work
Is absolutely ordered and methods
cal.
@. Some statesmen have con-
fessed that they always have felt,
in speaking to large crowds, what
is called in English stage fright
Have you ever experienced that
feeling? A. When I am before
Iarge crowds, even hundreds of thou
sands. / am never hesitant. The
I shall deal with are al
ready clear in my mind. There
remains only the words Of appro-
priately express ideas which I am
about to expound.