Mussolini’s Shadow Preaches Hate of Britain

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 7, 9 January 1936, Page 12

Mussolini’s Shadow Preaches Hate of Britain

EDITOR OF ITALIAN NEWSPAPER Before a door marked, “Editor, Private,” in the Rome offices of tho Giornale d'ltalia, Italy’s No. I newspaper, works a man who earns Iris living by writing a virulent hymn of hate. He is Signor Virginio Gayda—Mussolini's shadow, mouth-piece of II Duce, and he is an extremely loud-mouthed piece, too, stated a special, correspondent of the London Daily Mirror recently. Thero is a battalion of guards outside the British Embassy in Rome. The reason—safety! The cause —Signor Gayda. Eor Mussolini's mouthpiece does not like the British. ,

I have just returned from Italy, and I know exactly how much he has made the Italians hate us too.

The sun still shines there all right, but Gayda always thunders. Ho has thundered about our “unexampled insolence.” He has fumed about our “exasperating obstinacy.” and he is thundering and fuming still. And lie will be until wo all join the Italian navy ....

Lynx-eyed, ho studies every word ■we speak and write, every step our Government takes, every move we decide at Geneva .... and he sees the mysterious hand of Perfidious Albion—sees it and screams! Rome Cloudbursts

During my stay in Rome I made careful notes of his periodic cloudbursts, and every timo I read a report of Anthony Eden’s latest oration to the League or Sir Samuel Hoare’s latest pronouncement on the Abyssinian crisis I knew that another typhoon -was brewing.

Signor Gayda was once nearly “put on the spot” by a couple of German Nazis, who objected to the strong tone of comments that were made in the paper he edits. Now ho is putting Britain on the spot. Our whole attitude about Abyssinia, he thinks, is governed by treacherous motives.

“Britain could not regard with indifference the ever-increasing competition of Italian products id the world markets,” ho •wrote.

“Hence it can be asserted that she is expecting notable economic advantages in her trade as a result of the boycott of Italian exports which she has succeeded in imposing through sanctions.”

In case his readers didn’t ‘'catch on,” ho drives the point home even more precisely—- “ This lock-out of Italian goods should freo many world markets from the presence of competing Italian products, which will probably bo replaced by British goods. Sanctions, therefore, constitute good business for British industry and trade.” Signor Gayda then felt that he was perhaps, being unduly hard on us, so he compensates—like this:—-

“This motive may not have prompted the attitude of the British Government, but—facts are facts.” And when “The Mouthpiece” takes a look at the British Navy! It would be wrong to say that w r ords fail him, but his hymn of hate certainly reaches an hysterical key. ‘ ‘ Unexampled Insolence ’'

“The policy of intensive armament by Britain is becoming more complicated through the mysterious deveiojiment of military and naval accords between France and Britain.

‘ 'The inexplicable concentration of such an improsive naval force in * the Mediterranean, which finds no justification in Italy's attitude, is still to be explained. ‘ ‘ Tho suggestion that this concentration of warsnips is due to the menacing language used in certain sections of the Italian Press is more than ridiculous,” ho writes. “Wo did not take the initiative in using offensive language.” (Whether he took the initiative or not, Wignor Gayda is no mean runnerup!) * ‘ Tho exasperating obstinacy on the part of tho British is taking the form of unexampled insolence Yes, not only Abyssinia is insolent; Britain, too.

The violent editor of Giornale d’ltalia sees the hand of treachery everywhere. He has even been looking up our pedigree. • “Great Britain has always done as sko pleased in the.world,” screams his vitriolic pen. “She built up her, vast and wealthy Empire not only by daring enterprise, but through a violent spirit of conquest, with few scruples for the rights of other nations.”

“Incendiary firemen” We are often called a nation of shop keepers but not by Mussolini Is Shadow. Our Empire, he says, was built by means of guns and arms invasions, ' ‘ which often preceded , Britain’s bankers and sailors.”

And as for our Trades Uniop Congress —they are just “incendiary fire' men.”

What sort of man is this strange, embittered mouthpiece, beside whom Mussolini himself seems too benevolent. ■

In Italy, where the Press is securely gagged and guarded, he has become public opinion dictator of the people’s thoughts and views. He is fifty years of age, and his brilliant career has always wavered between journalism and diplomacy.‘Now his power is in the poison pen again. . During the war years Gayda was in Eussia, and in 1919 he visited Britain on a financial mission—yes, Britain, tho country which he now hates so dearly! During my stay in Italy I followed his onslaughts with particular interest. He was so vigorous, so villainous in his

criticisms of us that I imagined that such dislike could only be a passing phase—violent as it was. But I was wrong. Signor Gayda has made up his mind about us once and for all . . . . “Italy/. ’ he says, “will never forget this rage which to-day moves the British Government and' their groups of friendsl"