ITALY'S NEW LEADER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18758, 11 January 1923, Page 7

ITALY'S NEW LEADER

PEN PICTURE OF MUSSOLINI/■ . Shaking e fist from which , blood poured' down his sleeve and spattered on the up* turned faces before him, Bonito Museolini defied the. crowd, which had sworn to tear him limb from limb. This occurred, . accord*' . ing to Arno Dosoh-Pleurot, of the New YorkWorld,, when Professor Benito Mussolini, former editor of" the Socialist paper - Avanti; at Milan, tried to address a mass meeting of, ’Socialists who. were opposing . Italy's enttaaoprinto the war against Germany, '■ For J»> ; minutes the crowd howled itself hoarse, while the thick-set, fierv Mussolini howled back, until, in beating, his fists on the lost" rum, lie smashed a glass water-tumbler Jtt»d cut long gashes in one hairy fist.. 1 ;Thp sight of the blood streaming down as.-.he, gesticulated temporarily silenced the crowd, and gave him an opportunity to bold them Spellbound with a torrent of scathing invective., ... , - As soon as Italy entered the world war.' Mussolini left the Popolo. I’ltalia, which-Kad.. been founded to combat the Sociali&t%i served, in the army, was wounded, at . thbi front, and, returning, organised the blackshirted Fascist! to combat the rapid spread., of Communism in Northern Italy. ■ ’ . -

“The Ku Klux Klan of Italy,” expressed.: the general run of press ornament on the/ Fascist!, even after their firet great successin breaking the general strike of August/: remarks the Literary Dige'st, Then, -following Facia’s resignation and Mussolini’s vie*-; torioua acceptance of the Premiership, cams.-.; the swarming of the Fasoisti on Home; As they entered the gate say the' despatches, each man held up his right hand/, palm out, in the old Roman salute. The? Associated Press notes how Mussolini -inhis audience with the Ring wore over hi*;, travel-stained block shirt a Sam Browne belV and a sash of the Fiume colours. He and Uie King shook ■ hands, and Mussolini said; VL am your Majesty’s obedient servant" Commenting upon- the change of Government,- the Cincinnati Examiner says; _ ‘‘lt should be remembered that the Fascist] ate - patriots; • And out of it all may come a new order in Italy which will carry that histopo land to the greatest destiny of which Maisini and Garibaldi and Cavour drearied.”/,> The New York Herald, perhaps the m 085... favourable, of the larger of the Americatt/ papers, emphasised another phase of the ■ situation: “As. a soldier, Mussolini knows . no hours of duty except those which discip-’ line demanded. ■ As a- boy in his father’s blacksmith’s shop he arose with the sunyv These lessons 'he applies to his . present . duties; his Cabinet begins with the ’ hdurk of the worker, and it meets with the ’ ness of tho soldier. The real strength erf the new Ministry lies in the ability and fearlessness of its strong bead and in the honesty and sincerity of its individual memhers.”