Prisoner

Though Finance Minister Count Volpi was received with extraordinary acclaim at Rome after negotiating the Italo-U. S. debt settlement (TIME, Nov. 23, 1925) persistent rumors have since envisioned him at odds with Premier Mussolini.

Last week the New York World glibly assigned a dramatic raison d'etre to this rift in the Fascist lute. One John Lucas, who, from France or Switzerland, dashes off most of the World's alleged scoops of Italian news cabled:

"Signor Gualino, director and founder of the big Viscosa artificial silk works, which employ thousands of men and women, went recently to Mussolini and declared he must close all his mills unless he got working capital.

" 'I'll arrest you if you do,' retorted the Duce.

" 'Then I'll be arrested,' said Gualino. Gualino's tone so impressed Mussolini that he sent him back to Turin with 300,000,000 lire ($13,470,000) to carry on with. . . . Volpi was furious and sent in his resignation. Mussolini curtly told him he would be dismissed when the moment came. 'Then I'm a prisoner,' said Volpi, hero of the Italo-American debt settlement and multimillionaire. Said Mussolini: 'If you put it that way, yes.' "

Further unconfirmed rumors reported the mobilization of six Fascist legions in war regalia along the Italo-French frontier between Modane and Ventimiglia. Though alarmists descried war clouds, the force mobilized numbered less than 9,000 men, and seemed occupied merely with rather elaborate drills and war games.