Fires, Firemen

As usual, Premier Mussolini found occasion to pronounce a decisive "last word" upon the week's developments concerning the Italian Alto Adige, formerly the Austrian (Southern) Tyrol (see AUSTRIA). Cried Il Benito to correspondents:

"Everything there was German: officials, teachers, clergy, postmen and railwaymen. Nothing but German was spoken there any longer, and songs were sung which, if they were sung in Rome, would lead to immediate arrest.

"For a population of 250,000, including Italians, there were 24,000 firemen. When I was told these details I remarked that there must be a good many fires there.

In reality the firemen were armed. "I have altered all that. In the place of the firemen I have put four or five civilians for each village and there are no more houses burned down than before. ..."