At Mussolini's invitation, Hitler visited Rome. From the balcony of Palazzo Venezia (Venetian Pala.), they addressed a crowd of spectators filling the square. The only things bigger than the ego of the two dictators were the Monument to the King of Italy, the Coliseum, and the Roman Forum.

To think that Mussolini planned to rebuild the glow of the Roman Empire with a partner whose ancestors had vandalized Rome, reduced its population from about one million people to 80 thousands, and laid waste to the Forum Italicurn, which became a wasteland utilized by shepherds feeding their sheep.

What happened to the humanistic tradition of the Italians of the Renaissance? Could the present Italians exhorting the two dictators bring back the glow of the days of the Roman Republic? Having built a war machine, the Germans equipped themselves well. How about the Italians,

While Mussolini kept his neutral stance, Italy looked good—its trains, (boastfully) ran on time! Once he declared war on France, England, Russia, and the United States, Mussolini immediately showed his true colors. Asa minister, he was even more ignorant! Did he not know that in declaring war on America he would declare war on New York City, which counted a population of Italian Americans larger than that of Rome, not to mention the physical sizes of America and Russia vis-Wvis Italy!