THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1932,
PRIMO BENITO MUSSOLINI
ITALY'S GREAT MAN.
A Phenomenon or An Actor?
An Unusual Interview.
In Italy Mussolini is a pheno- menon; in England or America he would probably be either an actor or an impresario, or even a sensational financier,
His office in the Chigi Palace is a tremendous room, about forty feet square, and in one corner, placed diagonally, is a large tuble, with a lamp on it. Behind the table. staring, with his right hand raised in salute, stood a man. As I entered the first thing I saw was the whites of his eyes. These glistened and made his pupils seem intensely black and bead-like. The stare was so intense that it might al- most have been the look of a fanatic, and it dominated every- thing in the room, says Mr. Woolf in the Evening Standard.
By S. J. Woolf,
"My father was a blacksmith; I studied to become a teacher, taught for a while, went to exile in Switzerland, had a very hard) time in fact, was a there, came back to Italy, and began writing for a Socialist paper."
mason
Mussolini's English is good, but his sentences are short,
"Then the war came," he went on. "and from it and its after effects I learned
many lessons.
Bolshevism
The war began in August, 1914, and within two months of that time I was no longer a Socialist. I saw that their theories were: not my ideals. But I needed ex- perience to learn that lesson.
"After the war was sowing its seeds here, strikes were becoming numerous, our money was worth little, and while the stated causes of agitu- tion were always economic, in truth they were political, and the aim
Was to undermine the
SHARE MARKET.
Lower Level of Rates.
FEW TRANSACTIONS.
THE CHINA MAIL.
The official summary issued by the Stock Exchange to-day states:
THE TEN-SHILLING HOUSES
MR. E. D. SIMON ON MINISTRY CIRCULAR.
Advocate of Rent Allowances.
Mr. E. D. Simon, speaking at a and Liverpool had been doing, for A lower level of rates being es-luncheon of the Town and Counties some years. tablished this morning's session Club, Manchester, under the chair- brought in some buying orders, and
a few transactions were recorded. anship of Mrs. Sydney Franken-
Sales,
burg, on "Housing," said it was a Hong Kong Trams, $22.80 Ex. tragic fact that after ten years' Div.
Hong Kong Electrics, $764/761⁄2-we had spent
gigantic effort in housing, on which over $1,000,000,000, Cements (Comb.), $16. Constructions (old), $1.85/.87% medical officer of health could say, the slums were, as far as any Bayers. Union Insurance, $400.
about as
bad as they were ten years ago. Hong Kong Lands, $76 Ex. Div. not know what the slums were like Unfortunately, we did Chinese Estates, $95. Hong Kong Ropes, $16.40.
ten years ago, because nobody really Dairy Farms, $29.
bothered to inquire.
Mr. Simon referred Amusements, $19.
to the housing surveys made by private individuals in Manchester and Sal ford, which gave a graphic picture of the conditious in which people were living is the slums to-day. The number of people living there was about 10 per cent. less than in 1921, so that something had been done to relieve the pressure, but when one looked at overcrowding the worst cases seemed to him worse than before.
Govt. Loans, 3 per cent. Prem. Sellera.
Douglases, $26. Wharves, $156. Docks, $29. Hotels (old), $13.60,
FUNERAL.
Andreza Lisola Rocha.
were so
A similar inquiry in Liverpool had revealed the fact that in one The funeral of Mrs. Andreza section of Liverpool about a third State's authority with the idea Liela Rocha took place at the of the people were living in over- of establishing Soviets.
Roman Catholic Cemetery, Happy crowded conditions, but when the "That band of ever growing Valley, laat evening, being attend children were counted it was found patriots, the Fascists, firmly held ed by many mourners. The Rev. that two-thirds of them their places during strikes, real-Fr. Kerek, of the Salesian Insti- ising with true patriotic zeal tute, officiated at the graveside brought out before. Obviously the living. He had never seen that that the real sufferer in all these The chief mourners were the be one test of slum conditions was disputes was the Italian nation. reaved husband and children, and
"At last we got into power, there were also other relatives growing up in satisfactory condi-
whether or not the children and the world knows what hus present. happened."
tions. He hoped medical officers From a glass that stood be-ed the following from the members would take a tip from these Liver- side him he sipped some water. of the family: "Sorrowing husband pool inquirers and in future show His black eyes flashed.
and children," "Brothers and Sis- not only the total overcrowding but
The many floral tributes includ-i
were
"I took over the direction of ters." "Nina and Adico," "Tony living.
the proportion of the children 80
the State when it was at its low- Stella
and Mercla," "Amaro,
est ehb. We have changed from Augusta and children," "Pepíto
a nation of disorder into a people and Amy," "Louis and Sisters," well ordered and disciplined.
"Hilda, Elsa and Nidia."
"For six years now I have given up every personal thing! CENSURE MOTION DEFEATED. and devoted all my energies to effecting Italy."
improvements for!
London, Yesterday.
The Only Solution.
The other factor was that the population of Manchester and Sal- ford would probably substantially decrease during the next decade.. There were many disadvantages about that, but it was going to be) an advantage from the point of view of housing.
The one serious dif- culty was finance, a difficulty likely to get much worse if the world went on in its present condition. might have to cut down seriously It was always conceivable that we
on housing.
He congratulated the National Government on having made no economy whatever in the bousing subsidy. But it was quite hope- less to expect the subsidy to be in- creased, and the present subsidy, even with the 10s. house, although that was a great step, did not en- able them to move out to the hous- ine estates those who needed help most.
new
that of those who needed help most, What had happened so far wad
into a not a single one
of them had gone Corporation house. getting nothing out of the result of The crowded alum families were all this housing campaign, and two-pence a week more on their were actually paying
a penny or
rates while there were others with; and getting the subsidy that was partly paid by these desperately £8 a week in the Corporation houses
Simon said he knew of a town in poor people in the slums. Mr. which both the town clerk and the médical officer lived in subsidy
bouses.
Working-Class Cycle.
. Almost
every working-class family went through the regular cycle of being well off, then poor, The only way to solve this pro and then well off again. But it blem was to build large numbers of was just at the period when the houses and let them at rents family was poor, because
it had people could afford to pay. Clearly the expenses of the children to meet, we had not done this. There were,
that it required a large house, which however, two factors which were it could not possibly afford tu pay The House of Commons, to-day, going to be helpful. Suddenly Mussolini stopped rejected by 415 votes
One
for. Was
If the capitalist system was to 39 speaking. He stared at
an that building costs had come down to survive it had got to adopt some- me Opposition vote of censure darkly indeed
on very substantially in the last four thing which the social conscience with some- Government for "falling to initiate or five years, and the Ministry of thing of the expression of a effective measures to reconstruct Health, in a
would accept. Somehow, we had man who is trying to frighten a the economic life of
circular issued the to devise large houses for working- Britain.- child. I endeavoured to conceal Reuter.
previous day, stated their view class familles at the time they were that most towns could now build a needed. family house to let at 109. For have some reason Manchester houses had
a smile. He saw my efforts and began to smile himself. There
A judge must sometimes
is something child-like about more patience than Job-Judge been very expensive in recent years him: a desire to produce thea- Crawford, trical effects, but beyond this is
a tremendous sense of humour,
Range of Emotions.
(he had not long ago seen a list of Manchester houses to be built in ranged from 153. up to about 204.), which the rents of family houses
but now he hoped that Manchester would begin to do what Birmingham PISTOL DUEL IN STREET.
Mr. Simon suggested that there
that, which was by some system of was only one possible way of doing
children's rant allowance, or a name some did not like-differen-
bone, M.P., had produced quite ir- tial rating. Miss Eleanor. Rath-
resistible arguments for the sys- tem.
An argument ensued between the two men, and Roberts then drew a small automatic revolver and fired two shots in quick suc- cession.
ORGAN NOVELTIES
the stranger reached the door height to Death Oversolved into near-by doorways, and||
Girl in Sydney. Hundreds of persons witnessed
It was not until later I noticed the marble floor, with its thick and a certain lovable quality that to prison, I should prefer to go to If I am ever found out and sent Oriental rugs,
the two globes, is hard to describe.
Borstal-Mr. Clynes. one celestial and one terrestrial, From nowhere, apparently, each over five feet in diameter, someone had appeared. Words towards the door Mussolini drew the table to one side with a so low as to be almost inaudible himself up to military attention model of a Roman galley, and its were exchanged, and Mussolini and appeared to concentrate upon companion piece against the op- arose, stood very erect behind the back of his caller's head. posite wall with a photograph of his desk and rubbed his hands The look Sir Austen Chamberlain, and together. Slowly over his coun- were trying to extract every was intense as if he also the old tapestries that hung tenance spread that terrifying thought from it. When the against the brocades.
stare, directed towards Sheer Intensity,
door, but I noticed there was turned and up went his hand, Though not nearly so tall as sidelong glance to see the effect and Mussolini's did likewise. As Mussolini's pictures made him upon me. Someone entered, his the door closed, he turned and appear, by sheer intensity and hand went up in salute, and the with a half smile and a sigh, re- a fierce gun duel between two vital force he dwarfed the im- stare became more intense, al-sembling an actor who appears young men in William Street, mensity of his surroundings. As most a grimace..
before the curtain for applause, Darlinghurst, said a message some akilled artist by a clever
resumed his seat.
from Sydney recently. At least manipulation of perspective man- It had the desired effect; for
Home to Work. eight shots were fired before the ages to centre the entire atten- the visitor, evidently awed, tip- As if there had been no inter- police seized the men, tion of the
one of onlooker on one toed towards the table. It was ruption he took up his conversa- whom died shortly afterwards at figure, so, on entering the room, with difficulty that he found his tion where it had been broken St. Vincent's Hospital. all the lines of perspective ap-voice and began to speak off. He continued thus:-
His name Was peared to vanish in this one com- Mussolini beckoned him to sit in
Frederick "For six years I have given Roberts (35 years), of Darling paratively small figure behind a large red chair that was up everything for the State. hurst. The other man, James the table. There was nothing in standing on the opposite side of Except for a horseback ride in White (28 years), of Kellert the room but Mussolini.
the table, but he himself remain- the morning I have not had the Street, Darlinghurst, has bean The hand that had been ed standing. Then began a most time to devote to any other exer- formally charged with having raised in salutation dropped sud remarkable performance.
cise." denly, and as I advanced towards The visitor spoke, for what I asked why it was necessary The duel was the outcome of a the table it was stretched across seemed an interminable time he for him to give so much of His quarrel concerning a it to grasp mine.
young kept up a continual stream of own time to the Government, woman. She was present during "I am not going to pose for talk, but the President said no now that it was running smooth the shooting, and one of the bul- you," he said as he sat down thing. His expression, however, ly and busied himself with some and his actions were more elo-
lets crashed through the win "Because, I realise," he said, dow of a frock shen, shattering papers, but there was a suspicion quent than any number of "that I dominate the Party, and the plate glass above her head. of a smile in those dark eyes as words. There was hardly an it is because I realise this fact! It was during a busy period that he spoke. "So sit down and get emotion that was not portrayed that I have the ability to keep the affray occurred and motor your things ready.",
in those ten or fifteen minutes of the Party alive. New and un-ists. hurriedly bringing their For a few minutes he concen- one-sided conversation by the foreseen things continually arise. vehicles to a standstill out of the trated upon his papers before silent party to it. During that The Fascisti had followed me firing line, and the hundreds of him, then he looked up with a time Mussolini showed anger and during the trying periods almost people who quickly collected, smile. "Life is very short, he pleasure, disgust, hatred, satis blindly. To disband the Party caused a traffic jam said, "and there is so much to faction and impatience; he show- and retire would have seemed im- According to the story told to
ed these feelings not alone by possible to me.”
the police by Rene Carsons, for Bixteen Hours a Day. the expressions on his face, but Gathering together all his merly of Dubbo, a man whom she "Life is work, he continued by his entire body,
papers into his portfolio, he arose, did not know accosted her dur- "You see my methods and the From an imperious Caesar he Silently his secretary appeared ing the afternoon, and mado cer power that the Fascisti have won changed to a rollicking Falstaf: with the evening Journals,tain advanced to her, which she has brought to me a tremendous the eagle of an imperial Rome Mussolini took them with his hotly resented. The matter end- responsibility, and it means that became a slinking cat, and with portfolio under his arm anded there unti
hite: with
do."
I have to work about sixteen feline movements and grace a putting his bat on hours each day. N
Med most alid over the table that sen. It's crown, he turned" "to
This is in decided contrast to arated him from his visitor sud said
my former life, although I have denly the claws were stretched always worked hard I had to out as if ready to scratch and as
„suppose you know, my history suddenly they were drawn.
It is similar to that of thousands one almost waited for a purr of other
was ended
circumstances
ifalf-past eight,
murdered Roberts.
The crowd in the street dis-:
into shops. White, dodged be- hind a small kerbside post, to which a waste paper holder was attached and drawing an old-fashioned re- He crouched down,
volver from his pocket, fired at his adversary, who again opened fire from across the street, to where he had run.
The first two bullets fired by White hit. Roberts on his left side beneath his heart, but the bullets fired in return all went wide, though one. hit the pave- ment within a foot of where White was crouching.
Roberts turned and ran down the street, swaying from side to side; and blood was running down the front of his fashionably tail- ored suit. He was seized by a constable who came up the street at the sound of the firing, and another constable gripped White, who was endeavouring to release his revolver, which had jammed after three shots had been fired: When Roberts was admitted
to hospital, it was seen that he was beyond aid. One bullet had either touched his heart or had passed dangerously close to it. White and the young woman were taken to the Darlinghurst Police Station, where White was charged, an
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