IL DUCE'S AUSTRIAN MESSAGE OPERATIC DECLARES LANGER

"Mussolini's whole attitude in politics is operatic gesture," W. L. Langer '15, Assistant Professor and Tutor in the Division of History, Government, and Economics told a CRIMSON representative last night when asked about the premier's recent speech on foreign interference in Tyrol.

It is the old policy of taking the people's minds off internal affairs and turning them to external matters, in order to solidify public opinion behind the existing regime. This is well illustrated by the course of politics in Russia before the war.

"Mussolini's bravado in the case of Austria is explained by the martial weakness of that country," continued Professor Langer, "while he does not employ it with Savoy and Nice, the real power of the opposition. By this catering to the public taste, and by such means as his bringing out a bust of himself as successor of the old Romans, he shows his understanding of Italian hearts and their love of the spectacular. Thus he makes himself a hero in their eyes. I don't believe that he personally believes very seriously his superficial policy of reconstructing the old Roman Empire.

"Many Austrians believe that he eventually intends to take over Austria. Thus his grasp on Europe will reach out like a tentacle, holding a gigantic whip-hand. The whole thing comes down to his rivalry with Jugo-Slavia on the Adriatic."

When he was asked whether he thought Mussolini's successor would be able to maintain the power his predecessor had amassed, Professor Langer said it was very doubtful. "But it is usually the outside power which forces the issue, and not the internal. Consider France thus as the external force in the case of Alsace-Lorraine.

"The history of Tyrol is among the most disreputable in post-war history, It is an ungrounded belief that this little handful of people can harm Italy. When Tyrol was incorporated into Italy in 1919, the only reason given was the advantage of strategic frontier. Mussolini has taken this as an opportunity to show European countries that he means business. This pooh-poohing of the League is also shown by the Corfu incident.