Word: balbo
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...politics of the past five years are two blackbearded men sometimes called "the twins." The other with the beard is Dino Grandi, onetime Minister of Foreign Affairs. There is a story that when II Duce ousted Signor Grandi from the cabinet last year he simultaneously sent Air Minister Balbo a letter informing him that his "resignation was accepted." Minister Balbo is supposed to have marched straight in upon II Duce, handed back the letter as "sent by mistake." That tale is told by antiFascists to illustrate their belief that Premier Mussolini fears his Air Minister because of the latter...
...Italo Balbo at 23 came out of the War and the hardy Alpine corps with a bronze medal, two silver medals, a lisp and vaguely revolutionary ideas. The last he put into a newspaper called L'Alpino. Back in his native Ferrara where, as a schoolboy, he had organized and led farmworkers in fights against landowners. Balbo was among the first to enroll in the rising movement of Fascism. Enormously ambitious, popping with energy, he made such a good job of clubbing the opposition that he was put in charge of II Duce's own territory. When...
...General" Balbo had done his job of political repression too well. In Ferrara. a priest had died of a beating. Balbo had to stand trial. Nothing was proved. He was acquitted, and II Duce commended him for behaving "like a Fascist and a gentleman." But there was so much fuss that Mussolini removed Balbo from the militia, let him cool off for a year or so. As Undersecretary of National Economy, he was a complete misfit. Finally Mussolini hit upon a plan for diverting into a useful channel his disciple's hot-bloodedness, ambition and ability as an organizer...
...Italo Balbo expresses his theory of military aviation thus: "Aircraft must be used in masses like infantry in the next war, and solo flying will get us nowhere." Hence he concentrates his efforts on mass maneuvres with himself in the lead. The first, in 1928, was a western Mediterranean cruise of 61 scout seaplanes. Next year 36 bombers roared across the eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea to Odessa. Two years later the South Atlantic was hummed over according to plan...
...such a military scheme there can be no individual stars. Nor are there any in Italo Balbo's personal scheme. Soon after Balbo took office, famed Col. Mario de Bernardi. Schneider Trophy winner in 1926, turned up in civilian clothes. Arturo Ferrarin (Rome-Tokyo; Rome-Brazil) landed on the reserve list. And Col. Francesco de Pinedo awoke halfway around the world one morning to find himself exiled to Buenos Aires as military attach...