Six-Shooters, Potted Palms

Snappiest, most widely printed anecdote of the year about Signore Benito Mussolini was the tale of how he was recently "enticed" to the U. S. Embassy for tea by Mrs. John Work Garrett, greeted by Ambassador Garrett carrying a loaded pistol to protect the Dictator's life.

Under "potted palms" lurked Embassy secretaries "similarly armed." All the Ambassador's Italian servants "except his trusted butler" had been given the afternoon off, lest one of them assassinate Il Duce. To the Ambassador and Mrs. Garrett a friend sent humorous congratulations (for the point of the story was supposed to be that Il Duce had never before humored an Embassy hostess by a tea call). Came from Rome last week this cabled reply: EXCEPT FOR REVOLVERS RISKS SERVANTS SECRETARIES POTTED PALMS CORNERS AND SIX-SHOOTERS THE ARTICLE IS A TISSUE OF TRUTH STOP MERRY CHRISTMAS. JOHN AND ALICE GARRETT.

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