Blatant Symbol

Mussolini with an emperor's fillet encircling his brow. Mussolini staring ferociously from sightless eyes, frowning like omnipotent Jove. Mussolini represented by a bust of sinister green bronze, ten times natural size. Such was the symbol of imperialism which arrived recently at Manhattan,U.S. A., and was shipped to Boston last week as the chief item in a traveling exhibit of Italian art, which has been both sponsored and censored by the Fascist Government.

When the exhibition opened at Manhattan, supercilious critics expressed a mild surprise that the Italian sculptor Wildt had managed to get so brutal and unflattering a likeness of Il Duce past the Fascist censor. They dismissed the bust as an unpleasant thing to look upon and turned away. . . .

Last week they rushed back for another look. A widely credited rumor had spread to the effect that Benito Mussolini is himself the owner of the bust, that he himself ordered it shipped to the U. S. for the exhibit.