Word: duce
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Meanwhile strong & healthy Benito Mussolini was having his go at Anthony Eden. The Dictator, no novice in the fine art of getting the jump on public opinion, caused announcements to be made while Captain Eden was his guest which provoked abroad such headlines as BRITISH AGREE TO LET Il DUCE RULE ETHIOPIA and REPORT PACT FOR PARTITION OF ETHIOPIA. Premier Mussolini had just raised his son-in-law Count Galeazzo Ciano from Undersecretary to Minister for Press Relations and the Count proceeded to make good last week. Not until Captain Eden emerged from Italy did the World Press tune change...
That the Dictator's smart entourage had profited from rubbing ideas with Mr. Eden, appeared when Italian Undersecretary for Colonies Alessandro Lessona announced on behalf of Il Duce with a perfectly straight face: "We consider our mission in Ethiopia as sincerely and definitely to abolish slavery and to replace oppression by a harmonious regime of order. We shall give to Ethiopia the opportunity to participate in modern civilization...
While this slick out was pondered by His Majesty's Government, an amazing indiscretion popped loose in London. From Mr. Eden or some member of his immediate entourage Universal Service claimed to have scooped the actual words of Il Duce to Britain's envoy at their private conference in the Palazzo Venezia...
...been morally reproached by British newsorgans for his designs on Ethiopia. "On,the one hand Britain has attempted to invoke the League of Nations to restrain Italy, and on the other hand, Britain sanctions with Germany treaty violations presumably repugnant to all good league members!" exclaimed Il Duce's family newsorgan Il Popolo d'Italia. It added sarcastically: "Maybe, some day, the British-German accord will be pompously registered with the League, presumably, too, with the assent of the Delegate of Ethiopia...
Next job for Minister Eden was to soft-soap Premier Mussolini, clarify his country's position. To that end smooth Mr. Eden trickled down to Rome, turned on his charm. Il Duce likewise turned on his charm, with the result that their conversation was marked by a cordiality quite removed from the slight frigidity which attended Mr. Eden's explanations to France. Reserving most of his diplomatic honey for a second conversation to be held next day, Mr. Eden nevertheless found time in two hours to assure Signor Mussolini that Britain would make no further bilateral agreements with...