The Timaru Herald MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 1931. MUSSOLINI’S TWO VOICES.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18767, 5 January 1931, Page 8

The Timaru Herald MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 1931. MUSSOLINI’S TWO VOICES.

Less than three months ago the “bad boy of Europe,” as some of the more caustic of the American commentators have dubbed the Dictator of Italy, chose the eve of the eighth anniversary of the Fascist march on Rome, to call upon the Fascist party “for ahardening of the policy against its foes in Italy and beyond her borders, and predicted a Fascist Europe within two decades.” To day II Duce is availing himself of ttie facilities of world wide broadcast to contradict the rumours spread abroad about Fascism’s alleged danger to world peace. Signor Mussolini explained that “Italy needed peace, and Fascism desired to co-operate with other peoples in seeking future prosperity and peace.” The most generous explanation that can be offered for the apparent inconsistent utterances of the leader of the Black Shirts, is that the sabre-rattling outbursts are intended for home consumption, and the confessions of peaceful motives are designed to counteract, in the chancelleries of Europe, the suspicion that has been created by the gnashing of the Fascist teeth. But the softpedalling of Signor Mussolini is not likely to deceive the people of Europe and the United States. It is recognised that Italy cannot afford to go to war, but the logic of internal affairs may make it impossible for II Duce to hold on unless he can do something to distract the attention of the people from their distress and their loss of freedom, with the glamour of nationalistic enterprise. Once it was the Kaiser in Berlin who rattled the sabre; now it is Mussolini, but it must be admitted that the Italian Dictator is by no means a voice crying in the wilderness. The leader of the Black Shirts is astute enough to “know his audience”; indeed, some of the most restrained commentators have been led somewhat reluctantly to point out that while Signor Mussolini's oratory most certainly is not conductive to stabilisation and reassurance in Europe, what he says about reduction of armaments is true. “Germany,” as one leading American journal says, “will not long remain practically disarmed if the other European Powers continue to evade the explicit pledge of general reduction of armaments.” The obvious inference to be drawn from Signor Mussolini’s latest utterances is that Italy is anxious to co-operate with tire European Powers in the promotion of durable peace. But what does Signor Mussolini mean by peace? A few weeks ago the “iron man of Italy” keyed up his voice to thunder forth strong' words. “Anti-Fascism is not dead,” he said. “The battlefield is only widened. Yesterday it was Italy —now it is the world. Everywhere the battle for or against Fascism is on.” Referring, a month or two ago, to the speeches he made last May at Leghorn, Florence and .Mila n pronouncements which disquieted Europe as warlike—Signor Mussolini said: “With these speeches I intended to tear the mask from the face of hypocritical Europe, which stammers at peace at Geneva and prepares for war everywhere.” “Who violates the League of Nations Covenant?” asked the hot-headed leader of Fascism, in one of his thunderbolts of oratory, which called forth a tumult of Italian cheering. “Those who at Geneva wish to perpetuate two categories of nations—armed ones and defenceless ones. What juridical or moral equality can exist between armed and defenceless nations? ITow can one expect this comedy to last for ever, when its very protagonists are beginning to show signs that they are tired of it.” The only conclusion that can be drawn from the fiery utterances of Signor Mussolini is that II Duce is angling openly for closer co-operation with the German and Austrian Fascists; that his recent policy points towards a possible alliance of Italy with the former Central Powers which would be dangerous peace thence his soothing New Year peace protestations) ; that Signor Mussolini’s declared policy in Italian eastward expansion promises new disturbances for the Balkans; that portions of II Duce’s May and October speeches seem designed as an attempt to startle members of the League of Nations Preparatory Disarmament Commission into radical steps towards disarmament: finally, that the Fascist regime in Italy must be in a more wabbly condition than outside appearances indicate —otherwise, why should Signor Mussolini protest so much? Moreover, his recent speeches have contained the clearest indications that the Duce has definitely lined up Italy with the nations, such as Germany Austria, and Hungary, which want the Treaty of Versailles and the other peace treaties revised in opposition to such countries as France, Poland, and Czechoslovakia, which want them maintained. Thus tlie League of Nations is confronted with a situation in Europe to-day where on the one hand there is a strong movement towards closer cooperation between those Powers who are willing to fight to revise the peace treaties, and on the

other, those determined to fight to maintain them without revision.