John Talbot wrote. quoting Joyce:  "Not to like
>it [Italy] because of Mussolini would be just as absurd as to hate England
>because of Henry the Eighth"; which is to say that they had a whole other
>attitude over there (in Europe) at all; Americans probably wouldn't fathom
>such an idea at the time.
 
        In fact Mussolini was very popular in the USA. He even had a regular
column in the Hearst chain for several yeats--ghost written by his Jewish
mistress, Margherita Sarfati. He was als omuch admired by Father Coughlin,
the radio priest, who had a very large following, and even thoiugh of
running for President, but was ineligible because he was a Canadian.
Ethiopia and the Spanish Civil War brought an end to Mussolini's poplarity
in the USA.