MUSSOLINI AS AUNT SALLY IN SIDESHOW

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 32, 20 January 1939, Page 5

MUSSOLINI AS AUNT SALLY IN SIDESHOW

Italian Consul Protested To Police About Evans Bay Carnival Caricature ALTHOUGH their political tactics savour very often of thugdom and the "rough- house," dictators are notoriously thin-skinned, sensitive people. Jokes and caricatures _which in most countries would merely be laughed at, can be, in totalitarian States, offences punishable by prison or the concentration camp. Result is that this type of humour has been driven underground, to find its expression in whispered, illicit jokes which gain currency and spread with a rapidity _ which must be extremely galling to these great men.

FLERE is, for instance, the = story concerning the time "Mussolini slipped . quietly by himself into a picture theatre in Rome. A national song in honour of I1-Duce was played, and everybody "promptly stood. up. ‘Modestly,. . Mussolini | remained seated, ", Whereupon the patron in the next Seat (needless to say not knowing who his neighbour. was), . pulled: ‘him by the sleeve and whispered, "You’d better stand up, my friend.. Most of us feel the same way, but it isn’t safe." : it is not ‘very often in demo- _ €ratic New Zealand that we are. afforded the privilege of first- . hand experience of the dictator’s _ aversion to critical publicity, al-. though occasionally zealous con- . suls to protest to newspapers. _ ...Notable- occasion, of course, was the Hon. R. Semple’s biting reference to "mad dogs," for which ‘an: apology was promptly demanded and given. ; Happened Here jz is probably very seldom that a earnival sideshow has provoked consular action in this connection, but it has happened in New Zealand, and only. the other day. The whole incident was rather trivial, more silly and ridiculous than serious. It was at the Evans Bay carnival. In an endeavour to raise funds, the Maranui Surf Club installed a side-

show stall: consisting of two Aunt Sallys. . They were novel Aunt Sallys, consisting of painted caricatures of Hitler and Mussolini. Good sketches théy were, and from the point of view of a sideshow at- . traction there was nothing objectionable about them. Accentuation: of Mussolini’s. high, bald dome, wide mouth and jutting ._ chin was very slight. In the mouths were electric light bulbs which served as targets an at the same time added grotesque teeth to the faces. Catapults and small projectiles wére used; six shots for a shilling; a small prize if you knocked out a tooth. 9), 4,

IRST murmurs of disapproval ~ eame | ‘from some Ttalian residents of Wellington, who gave every indication of being very offended. ‘Next thing that happened was that. the ‘Italian Consul was infor: med about the "outrage." _He, in turn, complained to the Department, -and ~ the "Police. Department. informed the. ..Maranui Surf Club that the side-. "show would have to" ‘be stopped, or at least a different form of © Aunt Sally used. Not wishing to incur further Fas- . cist hate (or the visit of more drastic "police action) the ‘club gave way. we ee, spectacles were added to Herr Hitler, some more hair and ‘@ beard to Signor Mussolini, and ‘the keenest students of international affairs would have had difficulty in recog: nising the dictators. Any Precedent? jz would be interesting to know if the New Zealand Police Department has ever before interfered similarly with a carnival ‘sideshow, and if so, on what grounds. It will also be interesting to sce whether this censorship on behalt of a sensitive dictator will be carried further, and whether it will lead to the italian Consul setting himself up as an authority and judge regarding what New Zealanders may and may not say or do about fl Duce and his Fascist regime. As far as can be gathered, incidentally, no action was taken by the German Consil about the representation of ‘Hitler. jt is to be hoped that the consul’s Nazi overlords will not consider that he has failed in his consular duties, and insist that he travel round New Zealand seeing that effigies of Hitler are not used as Aunt Sallys in sideshows.