NEWS OF THE WEEK
THE event of the week—a disagreeable one—has been Signor Mussolini's speech in the best manner of Mr. Jefferson Brick. It was in the Chamber of Deputies last Saturday that Signor Mussolini burst forth on the subject of Italo-German relations. He said that he did not want "to enter into polemics" with Germany, but that he would simply state a few facts. The few facts turned out to be that Germany had entered into a "pernicious and ridiculous" ''anti-Italian campaign— pernicious because it was "deliberately based- on lies" and ridiculoushecause it "tried to intimidate young Fascist Italy which is no longer frightened of anybody." Signor Mussolini then denied many of the familiar stories about the Italianization of Southern Tirol. No doubt the Germans have exaggerated, yet we cannot refuse to believe all the evidence that has come before us of the arrogant and petty interferences by Italians whose motives is a flashy and overweening nationalism.
