ITALY
A dowager decked with diamonds is like a Great Power decked with colonies, because she is convinced that she has to have them and it often makes her angry to be asked why. Arid as diamonds is most of the Italian colony of Libya, for most of it consists of desert sands (see map, p. 23), but no Italian would dream of not defending this colonial diadem in case of need, and to Libya steamed last week nearly half the Royal Italian Navy to escort suitably and later be reviewed by His Excellency Benito Mussolini, Leader of the Party and Head of the State.
When Rome correspondents are asked by editors abroad to scratch their heads and name an Italian who might be considered "Mussolini's rival" they generally name the Governor-General of Libya, His Excellency Grand Councilman Italo Balbo. Reason: Balbo led a mighty mass formation flight of Italian planes in 1933 to Chicago's Century of Progress Exposition and it is logical to suppose that the Lindbergh publicity he thus won "made Mussolini jealous," had its sequel when Il Duce packed him off out of the world's limelight to rule Libya. Last month Colonel & Mrs. Charles Augustus Lindbergh flew to be guests of Airman Balbo in his sand-strewn Balboland—and nearly escaped all publicity. In Rome the school of opinion close to Mussolini has it that the Dictator thought what Balbo needed was not more publicity and a swelled head but tough, responsible, empire-building work likely to forge his wild daring into the mold of a mature Italian statesman. The typical Sunday supplement story has Balbo "banished to Libya," whereas Tripoli is only seven hours from Rome by the daily Italian air service and Governor Balbo continues to set foot in the Eternal City every few months, recently attended the Roman wedding of Son Vittorio Mussolini (TIME, Feb. 15). Last week the Dictator's inspection trip to Balboland again made the life of Balbo news.
Italo Balbo was born of prosperous parents June 6, 1896 in the ancient city of Ferrara. A hothead from the first, Italo enlisted at only 19 to fight for Italy during the World War, soon collared medals for "conspicuous valor." When Gabriele d'Annunzio defied the Peace Conference and President Wilson with his quixotic move to seize Fiume and make it Italian, one of the practical young fighters who enabled the poet to succeed in his at first foolhardy, then brilliant coup was Balbo.
In 1919 Balbo took to Fascism and the leadership of Mussolini with verve and recklessness, organizing Fascist locals and presently leading Blackshirts to storm and capture the then-Socialist stronghold of Ravenna. At the time of the decisive March on Rome in 1922 he was only 26 but already a Fascist Militia General, one of the historic Quadrumvirs who entered Rome in the actual March, directed by Editor Mussolini by telegraph from the office of Popolo d'ltalia which is still the Dictator's family newspaper. Queerest thing about the entire coup was that, like Hitler's in 1933, it was "perfectly legal," with popular votes and delegated representatives of the people supporting in Chamber & Senate the new Cabinet presently formed by Mussolini as Premier.