SABRE RATTLING

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12604, 15 November 1926, Page 7

SABRE RATTLING

THE SONG OF THE SHIRTISTff LONDON, November 3. The “Daily News” suggests that a Red Shirt army from France will attempt to drive the Black Shirts out of Italy. The suggestion follows reports of extraordinary activity of Fascist troops on the French border. Officers and troops are invading the Riviera resorts, which are usually exclusive residences of tennis stars and elderly ■ invalids. The Riviera is deeply perturbed. The reserve militia, which is only called upon in emergencies, is being mobilised. On both sides of the border there is great anxiety. The streets are packed with plainclothes police, and the shores are patrolled by special harbour guards from Genoa. The frontier is manned by picked troops with machine-guns. There is a belief in some quarters that the preparations are inspired by a fear that Ricciotti Garibaldi will fulfil a recent declaration at Marseilles that he “will collect a new army of Ked Shirts, and drive out the Black Shirts and establish an Italian republic.” On the other hand, it is stated that, the sabre-rattling demonstration is in order to induce France to drive the Italian emigres. The “Daily News” political correspondent says that the mobilisation has been suggested as being part of the autumn, manouvres but the newspapers do not refer to the frontier movements when discussing the manoeuvres.