THE CRUISE OF THE "ITALIA"

"The New Italy," rejuvenated by Mussolini and his Fascisti, has recently made a venture which "out-Americas America" in its business-like shrewdness. The Italian government has taken up advertising on a scale heretofore unknown. It is not merely distributing pamphlet literature telling of accomplishments and prophecying future greatness. It is not introducing subways in order to produce new advertising space. It has conceived a broad scheme of national advertising, to be accomplished by the patriot ship--"Italia," which is to cruise the seas of South America, carrying specimens of Italian manufacture, art, and literature to all the foremost republics of the southern continent. It is a propaganda ship--a veritable floating "Italian Exposition"--to impress the Latin inhabitants of South America, and to stimulate commerce and intercourse between the "Latinity" of the old and the new worlds. Professedly. It aims to counteract the influence of the United States in the South.

Whoever originated this scheme must have been studying American advertising methods. On the ship are delegates who will deliver lectures at every stop. There is, of course, a cargo of the usual "literature" on board. And there are sample automobiles, aircraft, electrical appliances, ripe olives, and--one guesses chianti.

In this active propaganda, Italy has taken her cue from Spain, where King Alfonso announced his intention of promoting Latin influence in South America. Latinism is in the field to compete with Anglo-Saxon commerce and culture. On the whole, the effort is one to be thankful for. The competition will rouse the business men of America to new activity. It will probably tend to make the American and the English the "Angle-Saxon" elements combine. And after all, it simply proves the value of American business methods.