Evening star., 1941-04-16
Arena
Continued From First Page)

81 issue of La Tribuna said warm
approval of the previous article had
come to Mr.. Arena from Italian
Americans in Chicago and elsewhere
and added:
Many American citizens of Ital-
ian blood, loyal to their adopted
country, United States of America,
tell us they can not speak openly
against the activity of this fifth
columnist' naming an italian vice
consult because they are afraid, of
persecution of themselves and their
families"
This editorial continued to say
that italian World War veterans
had been authorized by the United
States Government to collect money
for the needy in Italy but that many
Italians have no way of knowing
whether the collected money really
goes to Italy,
Dropped Title of Marquis.
1t added that "in order to over
come the dangerous distrusts-more
dangerous now that the plight of
Italy is very distressing-we think
willing individual donors
should send their money direct to
Italy ." to serve the best in
terests of the American and Ital-
ian people, the fifth columnist'
must be unmasked and banned"
Mr.. Arena, who also was known
as the Marquis Giovanni Arena, a
title he dropped when he became
an American citizen six months
ago, came to Chicago in the early
1905, first engaging in the print
ing business. When the late Mar
shall Italo Balboa few to the Gen.
tury of Progress Exposition here in
1888 with squadron of italian
planes, Mr.. Arena printed the Of
fetal program for the reception.
Later he was editor of another
Italian language paper, L'Italia,
but in May, 1899, he left that paper
amid a dispute with its owners over
policies. One of the disputants and
reported new owners of LTtalla
was Philip d'Andrea, prominent
Italian-American and once asso-
ciated with Al Capone, the gang
ruler.
D'Andrea in 1881 was sentenced to
six months for carrying a con-
cealed weapon during Capone's in
come tax trial.
Mr.. Arena established La Trib-
una, and it and L'Italia have car
ried on an editorial war since. A
libel suit which Mr.. Arena filed
against his former employers OF
LItalia is still pending In Superior
Court.
Later Capt. O'Conneu said he also
would question Giuseppe Dell 'Ag-
mol, italian Vice Consul, and would
ask consular officials to attend an
inquest later today. He said an
other to be questioned was Niccolo
Franco, editor Of L'Italia.
"On the surface this looks like q
vengeance killing by hired assas-
SINS" Capt. O'Connell said.
An investigator for the Dies Com
mittee on Un-American Activities
who asked reporters that his name
be withheld said he had lunched
with Arena yesterday and that the
editor had with him a new editorial,
ready for publication, criticizing the
consulate staff.
The investigator quoted Arena as
saving: "The fifth columnists here
are forcing responsible Italians in
Chicago to contribute to fifth coll
umn funds, and are constantly har-
assing Italians employed in Vita
industries"
William s. Devereaux, in charge
of the Chicago office of the F. B. OF
l., said the F. B. I. was not lnvesti-
eating the Arena killing.
Received Phone Threats.
His wife Dorothy, 80. told the po-
lice that he had received numerous
telephone threats from anonymous
callers who warned him to "change
the tone of his editorials"
The slayer accosted Mr.. Arena al
he was about to enter his parked
car with Miss Eleanor Herrmeyer
II. The assassin called attention Il
a fiat tire and when Mr.. Arena
stepped to the front Of the car h
was shot twice with pistol. Th'