Vandervelde v. Mussolini

European Socialists generally consider Foreign Minister Emile Vandervelde of Belgium the greatest French-speaking orator of their party now alive. His fame is international, his Socialism orthodox, courageous, enlightened. Therefore he did something last week, which recalled his refusal to shake hands with Signor Benito Mussolini at the Locarno Conference (TIME, Oct. 26, 1925) on the imputed grounds that Il Duce is a backslidden Socialist turned traitor to "The Cause."*

What M. Vandervelde did last week was to announce that he will shortly preside, at Brussels, over the unveiling of a statue to the late murdered Italian Socialist Deputy Giacomo Matteotti (TIME, June 23, 1924, et seq.). This murder has been laid by many antiFascists directly to the instigation of Signor Mussolini. Consequently, last week, M. Vandervelde's announcement caused Il Duce such annoyance that he recalled to Rome the Italian Ambassador at Brussels, the Marquis Negrotto di Cambiaso.

*Premier Mussolini once edited (1912-14) the leading Italian Socialist daily, Avanti.