"Speech of Peace"

A full sun beat pitilessly on the wide, graceful avenue that borders Sicily's Palermo Gulf. Half a mile away on the waters of the Mediterranean many of Italy's finest men-of-war were riding at anchor. Beads of sweat trickled from II Duce's dictatorial brow to the collar of his crisp white suit as he held forth from a 30-foot-high podium to thousands of Sicilians sweltering below.

Last week's oration was the grand finale to Italy's summer war games in Sicily, was evidently intended to be a curtain raiser for new developments in Italian foreign policy. Throughout the Fascist Empire 43,000,000 Italians, obedient to orders of the Fascist Grand Council, stopped work, streamed into public squares to hear broadcast their master's voice. A squad of interpreters scribbled furiously to translate the speech into 18 languages for the benefit of the world at large.

Just as Mussolini had got into his stride he caught sight of two gigantic signs that Sicilians had erected for his pleasure. Blazoned on them in white were the words: "Long live our volunteers in Spain." He stopped short, angrily ordered them removed. "I am making a speech of peace," he thundered, "and such signs are inappropriate."

At intervals Il Duce's voice dwindled thinly. The excited crowd, eager to miss nothing, shouted: "Louder! Louder!" At one point Mussolini turned wearily to his aides, declared, "I am tired. If they wait until tomorrow they can read my speech in the newspapers." The superstitious lost no time in pointing out that it was the first time the Dictator had ever publicly admitted fatigue. Excerpts:

Germany. "It is necessary from now on to take into account the existence of the Rome-Berlin axis. Between the two regimes there is a lasting solidarity. You understand me when I say that it is a lasting solidarity sealed by blood." (A reminder that German and Italian troops had died in Spain.)

Italian East Africa. "It has been said that Italy seeks recognition of her Empire by the League of Nations. Not at all. We do not ask the registrar of births and deaths in Geneva to register the birth of the Italian Empire. But we do say the time has come to register a demise." (An intimation that he would be satisfied if Geneva would kick Haile Selassie's representatives from the League.)

Spain. Italy will continue to fight for the "Nationalists" under General Francisco Franco, will not tolerate "Bolshevists or anything of that sort."

France. "Our relations with France . . . do not lend themselves to being dramatized. They would be even better if some responsible French circles had not idolatry for Geneva and if some others were not waiting . . . for the downfall of the Fascist regime."

Britain. "When we consider Italy's sea-and colonial-frontiers we meet Britain. I have said: We meet Britain. I beg those who are about to translate or murder my speech to note the difference between meeting Britain and clashing with Britain. . . . Britain is really living in the past in her judgment of Italy. She has a picturesque conception of Italy--a picturesqueness I detest. . . . In view of our common interests in the Mediterranean I believe it is possible to find a middle ground. . . ."

In the capitals of Europe this striking speech of peace was immediately recognized and studied as a significant document: France had been treated with lofty scorn. Britain had been told that she did not understand the new Italy. Italy was to continue fighting in Spain. Said a Nazi spokesman: "It was a peace speech of the type upon which German-Italian friendship is based."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.