Evening star., 1943-07-26
Road Of Imperialism
FoI MussoIini Ended
In SiciIian DebacIe
Bs the Associated Press.

Bs the Associated Press.
While others sought to preserve
the fading strength of a nation he
tried through bluff and blood to
aggrandize. Benito Mussolini, one
time Socialist, father of Fascism,
leader of the theatrical march on
Rome and exponent of the Philos-
ophy "live dangerously faces his
60th birthday-he was born July %.
1883-slnorn of the power he coveted
above all.
He had long career to look back
on-one which led from an editors
desk to the italian front line in the
World War and took shape and i'm
portance on October %, 1922, when
his black -shirted legion marched on
Rome and he was called to the
premiership by King Victor EN-
manuel.
Forthwith he embarked upon a
crusade which. he told his followers.
would restore to Italy the glories of
the Roman empire
There began a campaign of drum
beating and sword -rattling calculat-
ed to play upon the Italian love of
the dramatic, but it was not until
Is years after his ascent to power
that the Fascist road show was
ready to play on an international
stage.
Proclaimed Roman Empire.
In 1885 and 1886 Mussolini, anx-
ious to link the colony Of Eritrea on
the Red Sea coast of Africa with
italian Somaliland to the south. rode
roughshod over the pitifully
equipped and ill-trained army of
the Ethiopian emperor, Halle Sc
lasie.
From the balcony of Palazzo Ven
ezia in Rome. II Duce proclaimed
the new Roman empire and gra-
ciously rendered the crown to the
diminutive king who had summoned
him in the crisis of 1922
Mussolini was scornful of Great
Britain and the 50 nations which
had imposed futile sanctions against
him. And as gesture of his i'm
patience with those who would op-
pose the rise of Italy he withdrew
from the League of Nations.
Intervention on the side OF the
Nationalists in Spain was his next
step and then in 1889 came the con-
quest of tiny Albania across the
Adriatic. Mussolini and Italy were
riding high and there was, it seemed,
nothing to stop him.
North of the Alps Mussolinis Axis
partner and one-time pupil, Adolf
Hitler. invaded Poland. The Ger
man Army. having gobbled up every
thing to the east. turned south and
swept through the lowlands and
into France.
One June 10, 1910, Mussolini stood
once more on the balcony of Pa
lazzo Venezia. 1t was time to re-
deem his pledge of Axis solidarity.
France was on its knees. Britain
was reeling back from Dunkerque.
There was but one order. he told
the throng in the square-"Con-
quer!"
But something went wrong There
WAS brief jubilation when Italy cap
tured undefended British Somali-
land and then in q whirlWind drive
he Fascists were hurled out of
Eritrea, Italian Somaliland, British
SomaGland and then, the crowning
insult, Halle Selassie marched back
into Adds Ababa at the head of
a native and British Army.
There was no further cause for
Fascist celebration. Germany came
TO the rescue to extricate Musso-
lini's battered army in the snow
covered mountains OF Greece and
in the sandy wastes Of Cyrenaica
and Libya Then the slow retreat
into Tunisia and the moral-shat-
tering debacle at Tunis and Bizerte
Bombs began to fall on Italian
island possessions and on the cities
of the mainland in ever greater
weight and the black-shirted ma
chine began to labor. Defenses
cracked, then fell. and when the
Allies invaded Sicily. city after city
fell and there were cheers for the
conouerors