A far reaching understanding be-swoon Italy and Russia was reached on both commercial and Balkan resations before Italy declared war on Britain and France, it was authorita. ively learned here last night.
The understanding, it was said envisages the maintenance of peace in the Ball but does not bridge [any ideological gaps.—United Press, Premier Mussolini said that the Allled Powers could have avoided war with Italy if they had adopted a conciliatory policy toward Rome and Berlin.
The text of Premier Mussolini's speech was as follows: "Warriors—Fighters of the seas and the air—
Blackshirts of the revolution and s—Meh and Women of Italy, *he Empire and Albania—Listen!
"The hour of destiny is sounding. The hour of irrevocable decision has come! A declaration of war has already been handed to the Amba: dors of Britain and France!
"We go to war against the plutocratie and reactionary democracies of the West which at all times have placed obstacles in the way of the marching Italian people and which have often plotted against our very existence,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.