MUSSOLINI’S SPEECH.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 10 February 1926, Page 5

MUSSOLINI’S SPEECH.

BAVARIAN PREMIER'S COMMENT EBENCH SHOW APPROVAL. BY CABLE—PB.ES3 ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT LONDON, Feb. 9. The recent speech by Signor Mussolini (Prime Minister of Italy), declaring that Germany had launched, an unscrupulous campaign against Italy, but that the latter would retaliate, continues to excite widespread coinmen t. ' I)r. Held, the Bavarian Premier, in an interview said: “I was thunderstruck at Signor Mussolini’ offensive outburst. He much misquoted my speech, but I have reason to believe that Count llarbero, the Italian Con-sul-General at Munich, deliberately communicated a falsified version to Rome. I told Dr. Stresseman and Dr. Luther this to-day, pointing out that Count Bar hero is patron of the body of Fascisti at Munich. “I consider Signor Mussolini’s threat ■ y the tricolour beyond the Breiuer frontier to be very grave,” added s)r. Held. ‘‘We would be at a dissd"rantage because we are unarmed, jut we will never submit voluntarily.” The diplomatic correspondent of the Dailv Telegraph says that many of the threats, if they were ever seriousk intended, would require the constlera--ijjou of the League of Nations, because the threats are not consonant whh the spirit find letter of the covemnt ot Locarno Treaty. The Berlin correspondent >f the Daily Telegraph says that Signor Mussolini himself is reported to be surprised at the effect of hs words. At any rate, he has circulated the text of his speech, in which ths passage about carrying the colours over _ the Brenner Pass is couched ii considerably less aggressive terms than the newspaper version. Then _is some hope, therefore, that the iicident may be modified by subsequeit explanations.

A curious effect is that Signor Mussolini has been conpletely reinstated in the good graes of France, the larger section of tie press commending him .as an example of how to talk to Germanv.