ITALIAN POET-PATRIOT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19748, 22 September 1927, Page 11

ITALIAN POET-PATRIOT.

BREAK IN RETIREMENT. CRUISER SET UP AT PALACE. A REMARKABLE CEREMONY. D'ANNUNZIO'S 500 GUESTS. By Telwaph—Press Association— Copyright. (Received Spetember 21, 5.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. 21 ' A salvo ot guns from a cruiser set upon an eminence in the grounds of the palace of the famous Italian poet, Gabriele D'Annunzio, at Gardonne, near Lake Garda, inaugurates! a ceremony of a remarkable character. In connection with it D'Annunzio opened his doors to the world for the first time for some years. The cruiser is the Puglia, on which the poet-patriot served in the war. He recently received it from the Prime Minister, Signor Mussolini, as a present. He had it taken ashore in parts arid reassembled in his grounds. Five hundred guests saw a play pelformed. Each scene was heralded by a cannon's shot. Gabriele D'Annunzio, whose real name is Kapugnetta, has had au extraordinaiy career in literature, war and politics. Of Dalmatian extraction, he. was born at Francavilla, Pescary, in 1864, studied at the University of Home, and at the age of 15 had already published a book of poems. The brilliant works which followed it earned him the title of the greatest modern Italian writer. Having had to leave Italy owing to financial difficulties, he had been living in Parts for some years before the war, but he had come forward as a leader of Italian nationalism in 1912; when in fervent war songs he celebrated the conquest of Triplitania by the Italians and denounced the Powers who were thwarting Italy s Mediterranean policy. In the spring of 1915 he returned to Italy and by his vehement interventionist speeches did much to cause his country to enter the war. He became a soldier of great, hardihood and courage and a politician who defied Governments. Although he was 55 years old he served in the most exposed trenches on the Corso, then joined the navy and took part in many torpedo boat and submarine raids and eventually became a, brilliant airman, performing a number of daredevil exploits. One of these was the flight which he led to Vienna, on which propaganda pamphlets but no bombs were dropped. During the war he lost the sight of an eye. He received the Italian V.C. and many other decorations.

D'Annunzio's indignation at the attitude of the Allies, and especially President Wilson, toward Italy provoked a -series of vituperative articles, and eventually he placed himself at the head of a hand of volunteers who entered Fiumc on September 11, 1919, occupied the town and annexed it in the name of Italy. This move was strongly resented by the Italian Government, which he defied there for 15 months, creating a new State, of which he was the head. A romantic figure, he attracted followers from all over Italy, including many distinguished men. This adulation went to his head and he became bombastic, denouncing all the Italians who nad not flocked to his standard. He refused to accept the Rapallo Treaty and the Italian Government 'had to use force. After declaring that he would resist to the last he capitulated and left Fiume in January, 1921. His further plan to conquer Dalmatia and the Adriatic generally had not been realised, as the elections in November, 1919, had resulted in a victory for the Socialists and Popolari, and Mussolini himself polled scarcely 4000 votes in Milan. Giolitti refrained from prosecuting D'Annunzio for high treason and he went to live at Gardonne, on Lake Garda, in the villa of the German savant, Thode, who had just died. Ihe Government seized the villa, which D'Annunzio bought from it and transformed into a palace. Thode's widow, with the aid of the Danish authoress, Karin Michaelis. carried on a public campaign against the poet to get him to give up" Thode's helongings. In 1922 D'Annunzio resentfully saw Mussolini carry out what he had dreamed of doing during his Fiume days. In recognition of his services he was in 1924 created Count of Fiume and then Prince of Montenivoso. At the same time he began to be talked about in consequence of the sympathy which he displayed for the Russian Soviet regime and which had arisen out of a visit by Tchitrherin. In May. 1925. Mussolini visited the poet at Gardonne and it was assumed that he had become reconciled to Fascism.