ITALY: Collective Madness

Professor Jean Verne of the Medical Faculty of the University of Paris described last week his impressions of Fascismo gleaned as a member of the International Congress for the Advancement of Science at Bologna which was addressed by Signor Mussolini a short time before the Bologna attempt upon his life (TIME, Nov. 8). Said Professor Verne, 36, croix de guerre: "Bologna was like a city of madmen. The wails were covered with mystic posters proclaiming 'God gave him to us; curses upon whoever touches him.' Every window held Mussolini's portrait. Fascist bands marched deliriously all night. . . . Mussolini arrived in a brilliant uniform with an aigrette a foot high on his head. The regular army and fascist battalions goose-stepped before him shouting the Fascist war cry, 'Eia, eia, eia, alala.* Mussolini was ushered in by the same war-cry when he addressed the scientific congress. He spoke mainly about the role that science plays in wartime. He said that he expected chemists to discover even more poisonous gases, and so be able to overcome more easily the nations of their enemies. . . .

"I bring from Italy an impression of unprecedented collective madness. . . ."

*To achieve the best effect this cry should be emitted shrilly, with the head thrown back and the tongue powerfully vibrated on the last two syllables. It is untranslatable.