"MUSSOLINI NOT TO BLAME”

Taranaki Daily News, 18 February 1931, Page 9

"MUSSOLINI NOT TO BLAME”

“HIT AND RUN” MOTORING STORY.

AMERICAN GUEST’S EXPLANATION.

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.

New York, Feb. 16.

In a statement to-day at Los Angeles Cornelius Vanderbilt junr. described the alleged story of the Mussolini “hit and run” auto accident, spying there was nothing at all discredita>e to Signor Mussolini, adding: “I told the story not as ap indictment, but merely as an interesting dramatie episode in the life of a great man.” Mr. Vanderbilt said the car driven by Signor Mussolini ran over a child during a military inspection. He was driving with the Prime Minister at his invitation. Mr. Vanderbilt did not know if the child was hurt ~ badly. “I recognised at the' time that every precaution had been taken for tlie safety of onlookers. Signor Mussolini was not to blame, and, furthermore, I realised that to stop would have served nd purpose. Driving on was not cowardly and an endeavour to avoid detection. Had Signor Mussolini stopped at a time of possible danger to himself (iiritiFascits were • believed to have been in tlie crowd) it might have precipitated a riot or ever a great tragedy.” On publishing a version of the incident Major-General Butler (U.S.A.) was charged with libelling Signor Mussolini and narrowly escaped a court-martial in America.