MUSSOLINI RIGHT

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 196, 16 May 1936, Page 4

MUSSOLINI RIGHT

Italian People Behind Foreign Policy BRITONS NOT DISLIKED Dominion Special Service. Auckland, May 15. “The Italian people are solidly behind Mussolini in his foreign policy, and they think it is the right one to make a nation independent from external political interference and for supplies of raw material,” said Dr. F. Piscitelli, a prominent Italian doctor, now resident in Queensland, who passed through Auckland by the Monterey after a visit to Italy. “The Italian people look on the Abyssinian conflict as merely a colonial war. They have always been quite confident of success, ar.d, apart from the rejoicing at times of Italian victories, life has been proceeding normally for most people,” the doctor continued. “There is no general feeling against the British people. The flow of English and American tourists is as great as ever, and they are treated with the same courtesy and cordiality as ever. The animosity has been against a particular policy of responsible British politicians, which has, according to the Italian mind, been contrary to the traditional Anglo-Italian friendship, especially after the strong support accorded by Italy during the Great War. This caused the deaths of half a million Italians, yet at the peace treaty the country did not gain any colonies.” Dr. Piscitelli said that since his last visit to Italy in 1924 the country had made great advances. Her motor roads, for instance, were now the finest in Europe and a third of her railways had lieen electrified. The standard of living had been raised, especially among the working classes. “There is a deeply-rooted opinion that Mussolini is a man who thoroughly understands the people in general and the poor in particular, and that he comes to them in their needs when they require him. That is the real psychology of the great bulk of the Italian population to-day,” Dr. I’iscitelli concluded.