"God Sent This Man!"

Who is to blame? Why have not France and Italy begun those "friendly naval conversations" which were planned by their Chief Delegates at the London Conference when they failed to agree (TIME, March 31, et seq.)? Last week correspondents told Foreign Minister Aristide Briand of France that Foreign Minister Dino Grandi of Italy blames him. They quoted Signor Grandi as having said in Rome: "Italy has proposed several times to France to resume the naval discussion, but our proposals so far have remained unanswered."

"I am greatly surprised," said M. Briand softly, slumping still further down into his great, squashy leather chair. "You may say, messieurs, that continuation of the negotiations depends, and depends wholly, on Signor Grandi."

Two of Europe's greatest statesmen thus flatly contradicted each other. Usually correspondents are blamed for such "mistakes," but last week the two Foreign Ministers seemed content to let their statements stand. With his usual adroitness, however, M. Briand managed to convey the impression that perhaps the real contradicter is neither himself nor Signor Grandi but a third party too potent to mention.

"When Signor Grandi and I parted," said Br'er Briand with a lift of one shaggy eyebrow, "I certainly was under the impression that we had agreed to adopt the most expedient procedure to insure success of the negotiations. . . . Unfortunately a new fact arose. . . . The Leghorn speech was made. Then there was the speech at Florence and finally that at Milan."

Travelers returning from Italy last week told of a striking portent in connection with Signor Benito Mussolini's fiery speaking tour on which he thundered against the "enemies of Italy" (without mentioning them) at Leghorn, Florence, Milan (TIME, May 26, et seq.). Perhaps with intent to frighten would-be assassins, an astonishing poster was stuck up everywhere. It showed the face of Il Duce in thunder-black silhouette. Circling his face in lightning-like letters were these words: "GOD SENT US THIS MAN! WOE BETIDE HIM WHO HARMS HIM!"

Anecdote: Shrugging her bent shoulders at one of these posters the old portress of an Italian palace said to a U. S. lady calling on her mistress: "Signora, noi siamo in brutte mani! (Madam, we are in ugly hands!)"

When Signor Mussolini appeared on a balcony of the Palazzo Vecchio to speak he was announced to the Florentine populace by two heralds in red and white medieval costume who put long brass trumpets to their lips and blew a blast heard a halfmile away. Last week Il Duce even carried his blasting to Paris. For the Petit Parisien he wrote an article attacking by implication Statesman Briand's dearest hobby and pet scheme, his projected European Union or "United States of Europe" (TIME, Sept. 16 et seq.).

Slashingly Il Duce attacked the very basis of the Union, the integrity of the states of Europe as constituted or guaranteed under the Treaty of Versailles and the other War treaties. "There must be a serious and sincere revision of the existing "treaties," he declared, before a European Union could be constituted. At the very least, "retouching of the pacts, which are at the base of European relations, must take place!"

Of course M. Briand replied next day. not over his own signature but through the semi-official Journal des Debats which charged ll Duce with seeking revision of the pacts not to secure justice for the smaller nations but with intent to grab territory (presumably colonial) for Italy.

Parting stinger in the week's long loud quarrel came from the Italian Foreign Office. In her official reply to the questionnaire on Br'er Briand's "United States of Europe" Italy announced that she was willing to collaborate, BUT only after the problem of general European disarmament had been solved, AND that the published formula for the U. S. E. "must guarantee protection of the rights of minor states and cancel every distinction between victors and vanquished." The implication was plain that Italy considers the U. S. E. a red herring to distract world attention from the much discussed subjects of disarmament and treaty revision.

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