A POET'S RAID.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 221, 17 September 1919, Page 6

A POET'S RAID.

The world was prepared to overlook much in Gabrielle D'Annunzio for what he did in word and deed in the war. It was prepared to forgive him his two hundred waistcoats, his scented exqui■siteness, his pose of eccentricity, and the evil that lay belovr the iridescence of his genius, for the -verses lie wrote to rouse Italy and to encourage her in her darkest hour. But it will not forgive him the raid on Fiume. "Back to your gallipots," said a fool of an English reviewer of a great English poet. "Back to your verse-writing," the wise world is inclined to say to this imitator of Garibaldi in a cause far 'below that of the Liberator. When Garibaldi drew a sword for Italy the forces of freedom -throughout the world followed him in spirit, and held their breath in anxiety—for Garibaldi. When D'Annunzio draws a eword for Fiume, freedom frowns and holds her breath in anxiety—for freedom and the peace of Europe. The discussion about, Fiume presented just the kind of situation to appeal to this neurotic poet. It had threatened to break up the Peace Conference, but Signor Nitti, succeeding the obdurate Signor Orlando, had apparently reached an agreement with Italy's allies by which both Italy and the Jugoslavs would abate something of their claims. Then the strong wine of Italia Irredenta goes to the poet's 'head, and he brings about another crisis by leading a raid on Fiume, hauling down the Allied flags, and establishing an Italian army there. How he must have enjoyed himself! Perhaps he never had a more ecstatic moment than when he faced the machine guns of the Italian commander in Fiume and .bared his breast to the bullets which he knew would never be' fired. "I must have my emotions," as Blanche Amory said on a famous occasion. After that, of course, D'Annunzio and the Italian commander embraced, and probably swore eternal defiance to the Allies over a bottle of champagne. It is an amusing but also a grave business. The Italians are in Fiume— 26.000 of them—and a large section of Italian opinion will be solidly behind them. It is all very well for the Italian Government to disavow the raid. Its business now is to get the 26,000 away.