Free Press & Map

Into the big office of Benito Mussolini at Palazzo Venezia last week bustled U. S. Publisher Paul Block to tell the Dictator that "I find Italy greatly improved under Fascism and tremendous loyalty to yourself."

For half an hour the conversation buzzed along. Then an allusion to Il Duce's onetime editorship of Il Popolo D'Italia which he still publishes at Milan gave Publisher Block his chance.

"Speaking to Your Excellency as one journalist to another," ventured Paul Block, "why don't you give your people a free Press?"

Why, Mr. Block, we have a free Press!" replied II Duce with what his visitor described as "a smile of great kindness." Then thoughtfully the Dictator added: "Of course when a writer attacks the Government in a way we know to be harmful to the people, then we call his attention to it. Yes, we call his attention to it."

Only the most earnest Fascists take such Mussolini cynicisms seriously. Last week they produced as an example of Fascist freedom of the Press an article by Air Marshal Italo Balbo criticizing plans to subordinate the Air Force to the Army and Navy--plans reputedly favored by II Duce. Actually the appearance of such an article is apt to be a signal that the Dictator has changed his mind upon the point in question. It was small proof of freedom of the Press that Marshal Balbo was able to get on the front page of Air Minister Benito Mussolini's official service organ last week the following:

"Experience has shown that mass flights may give results unthought of today, and for this reason aviation must not be considered an extra branch of the Army or Navy. Aviation has its own aims. I am sure that aviation, under Premier Mussolini, will proceed along these lines."

More to the point of Fascist journalism was a scare started last week by Rome's authoritative Messaggero to incite Italians against Jugoslavs, their traditional foes. According to Messaggero imaginative Nazis peppered Jugoslavia in advance of Austrian Chancellor Dollfuss' murder with pamphlet maps suggesting that Germany and Jugoslavia should cooperate in arms. A fantastic "Map of Europe in 1935" showed Jugoslavia gorged with Italian and Austrian territory while "Greater Germany" had been so extended as to include Alsace-Lorraine, the Netherlands, parts of Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Lithuania and enough of Italy to give Germany a sea coast adjoining Jugoslavia on the Adriatic. "This Nazi propaganda bore fruit," charged Messaggero, "in the assistance Jugoslavia gave the Nazis in Austria and the mobilization of Jugoslavian armed forces to counterbalance Italy's action."*

*Those escaping to Jugoslavia after Dollfuss' murder were interned, those attempting to escape to Italy were turned back.

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