The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Cost Times. FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 1931. SIGNOR, MUSSOLINI AND PEACE.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 January 1931, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Cost Times. FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 1931. SIGNOR, MUSSOLINI AND PEACE.

From Signor Mussolini uiiou matters of international import the world at large lias become so accustomed to expect utterances of a loud and bombastic nature that when lie descends to a minor key the change is really very noticeable. A. New Year statement issued by him is the more interesting comments an exchange, because it expresses sentiments not usually looked for in such a quarter. With that penchant for picturesque metaphor which seems to be cultivated by Fascism, be declares that lie will never make war unless he is first seized by the throat. Presumably, this means that Italy will not take up arms unless she is attacked. Signor Mussolini goes a step further. Fie says that he intends to lead a vigorour campaign for world peace. This should be distinctly good news for the world. It is difficult to recall, as emanating from the Luce, any previous explicit pronouncement that is precisely to that effect. The New Year is proverbially the time for the making of good resolutions. If it may be accepted without reservations, Signor Mussolini’s statement, represents a welcome message for the inauguration of 1931. The cause of world peace cannot have too many friends. Signor Mussolini might almost appear to have been speaking in a vein of self-justification, and with a desire to interpret himself aright to humanity, since lie expresses resentment at the impreaion, based, as ho suggests, on isolated extracts from his speeches, that he is pursuing an aggressive policy in Et’rcpean affairs. The Dnce clearly recognises that the impression which he seeks to correct has been created. But he must himself accept the blame if lie has been nvsunclerstood. Possibly Fascist oratory suffers in the translation into other languages. We have seen the view expressed that it is a pity that so few Englishmen can read Italian, because those who do know that what is often but windy rhetoric in English forms a truly poetic image in the warmer language of Italy, where the sun permits greater riots of colour, greater contrasts of light and shade. It may be so. but that, does not quite explain at least why the French press reacts so unfavourably to Signor Mussolini s poetic imagery. It would not be difficult to gather a somewhat remarkable collection of statements by him which, aft- r due allowance is made for the national colouring, have seemed to possess a bellicose and aggressive ring. Nobody regards as a friend of peace the type of man who goes about saying fie does not want to fight, and is all for peace, yet is constantly harp-

iug on what will happen to anybody that ventures to attack him. Yet that to an extent may well seem to lia-vo been Signor Mussolini’s attitude. .It is only a few weeks since he declared,

“Woe to the country that would violate our national honour and embroil us in a conflict.” It- is scarcely longer since he boasted: “Cannon are more beanti.nl than fine words—fifty battalions of Fascist militia, s pported by fifty thousand cadets, will give a, display of armed might hitherto not seen. None can and none shall stop ns.” Earlier in the year, again, something of a sensation was created in France- hv the Dnee’s speei h at Leghorn, in which lie said: “We are not seeking hasty adventures, but whoever thinks he can halt us dees not know to what a pitch I might take the Italian peo le. The day we are attacked I shall launch them like a thunderbolt aguimt the aggressor.” The cynic might sugge t that so mu h avowed readiness to meet attack is liot essentially different from a readiness to pi‘ovoke attack. It is, however, generally to the Fascist organisations that Siglior Mussolini has been woht to address himself in the heroic manner, and possibly it is largely a matter of method, The fact that smartly uniformed members of the military forces swarm throughout tli-o principal cities of Italy gives to visitors to that country the impression that it is highly militarised; and some of the Dictator’s utterances have certainly been constructed as an indication that the soldiery of the country was intended for soirething beyond the removal of domestic obstructions to realisation of the Fascist ideal—a task in which it has nndouhtedlv been successful. But Signor Mussolini’s prestige abroad will certainly not suffer if, in fulfilment of the terms of his latest assurance, and with less austerity towards Geneva, he now comes forward as an active campaigner for world peace.