Rome's Birthday

Fascist masons toiled furiously, early in the week, to construct an imposing dais between the Arch of Constantine and the Colosseum, with stones taken from the nearby Temple of Venus. As "the 2,680th/- anniversary of Rome "dawned," the dais was spread with draperies of imperial red. Upon it were set gilded crowns and other trophies won in the wars of ancient Rome. Soon Premier Mussolini ascended this mighty sustentation, planted himself on an imperial-seeming musnud. Jove-like, he frowned upon the suffocating throngs. Awed, they were silent.

A procession passed before the Imperator of modern Rome. Black and brown troops from Tripoli, Eritrea and Somaliland stepped smartly. Green and white robed Meharis swooped in billowy formation, borne by swift camels. Savaris and Spahis wearing the bright colored burnoose curbed their desert steeds upon the cobblestones of Rome. Sixty thousand Fascist children marched with heads thrown back amid a surcharged silence more impressive than the wildest pandemonium. . . .

Silence. Upon this triple holiday--at once "the Birthday of Rome," "Colonial Day" and "the Fascist Labor Day"--Premier Mussolini was expected by many a Fascist to make some striking and imperial pronouncement. Instead II Duce preserved a silence that was deafening. . . .

What did it mean? The correspondents of all the great news agencies at Rome cabled that "a trustworthy source" had supplied them with tidings of a secret pact between Greece and Italy, said to envision the ousting of Turkey from her Aegean and Mediterranean possessions between Constantinople and the port of Adalia (east of Rhodes).

The specific objects of the pact were said to be the return to Greece of Smyrna and its hinterland, and the occupation by Italy of Adalia (Turkey) and its hinterland along the Bagdad railway. Thus Italy would seize at last the territory promised her in the secret Pact of London (1915), which induced her to join the Allies in the World War.

At Athens, Foreign Minister Rouplos formally denied the existence of any such pact. However "President" (Dictator) Pangalos of Greece is an avowed arch-militarist and is known to be purchasing warships and arms to the utmost limit of the nation's credit. . . .

"Birthday." Governor Cremonesi of Rome inaugurated the work of clearing away ignoble buildings throughout the city in order that her ancient monuments may stand out and new imperial structures rise.

Blazing Fasces. As night fell, the Tiber was illuminated by searchlights and flares. High upon the Arch of Titus blazed an electric sign displaying the fasces, symbol of Fascismo. Sage U. S. parents showed their inquisitive offspring what the fasces are by displaying the "tails" side of a new U. S. dime.

Rumors. Strange rumors escaped last week from behind the Fascist censor's dark screen so carefully adjusted to shut out all but the glories of Fascismo. It was told by a pressman at Basel, Switzerland, that Mussolin's intestinal complaint now makes it necessary for him to subsist chiefly on milk and rice, and he seeks forgetfulness from sharp internal pains by playing on the violin when he cannot sleep. At Lugano, Switzerland, another journalist just returned from Italy declared that Roberto Farinacci, who recently resigned (TIME, April 12), as Secretary General of the Fascist Party, has definitely turned against Premier Mussolini and is raising an anti-Fascist rebellion in the northeastern provinces of Italy.

/- "The city was founded or rather gradually arose at a wholly unknown time and under wholly unknown circumstances."-- Ploetz. The Festival of Palila, April 21, is celebrated by convention as the anniversary of Rome's foundation. Cato gives the date 752 B. C. as marking the beginning of the mythical epoch of the King of Rome.