The Italian Fascisti.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17418, 31 March 1922, Page 6

The Italian Fascisti.

.during the last twelve months tli a cable messages dealing with happenings ir. Italy have contained frequent references to that renurkable organisation known as the Fascisti. For instance, last Monday a Rome message announced that the Fascisti had threatened to murder every Russian Bolshevist arriving to attend the Genoa Conference, and that the Communists threatened to retaliate on the Fascisti. A later message reported a parade of 30,000 Fascisti through the streets of Milan to celebrate the third anniversary of the movement. It was not until about twelve months ago that the Fascisti came into special prominence. The present Fasci di (Jorabottimento, to give them their full name, were created in March, 1919, by Signor Benito Mussalini, the editor of the "Popolo d'ltalia" of Milan. By the end of 1919 there were forty Fasci, in April. 1921, it was estimated there were 400, with a membership of over 100,000; to-day their numbers are very much greater. The secretary of tbe central committee, which directs the Fascisti from the gieat Lombard city of Milan, stated last year that the main object of the organisation was "to combat Bolshevism as the "degeneration of Socialism, especially "because of its violence." It is essentially a militant body, and in its operations it seems to have adopted the reprisal law of ''an eye for o.n eye and a "tooth for a tooth." AU the Italian political parties have furnished members to the Fasci, "except the Catholio "Popular Party on the one hand, and "of course the Communist and official "'Socialist parties pn the other." Even the Conservative wing of the Socialists, the so-called Riformisti, is represented in tho Fasci. During 1919-20 and last year there were frequent serious conflicts between the Fascisti and tho Socialists, and while a majority of. the people pf Italy are opposed to the Sooi ialists and the Communists, it is equal-

]y true that they do not approve of Fascist! mc-tiiods, though they do sympathise with their objective, namely, respect for the national flag and the suppression of revolutionary methods. In their continual fight against the Socialists, we ate told, the Fascisti contend they are doing no more than is needed to throttle attempts at subverting the constitution which, if successful, would "reduce Italy to the condition of Russia." Tlie parlous economic state of Italy immediately after the close of the war was favourable to the spread of Communistic and Bolshevist propaganda. How imminent the peril was, appeared from a statement by a deputy in Parliament who declared that "whoever lived in Italy ba- " tweeu July of 1919 and June of 1920 "knows by what a hair's breadth the "country esc.iped being thrown into "the most appalling anarchy." The widespread seizures of factoriej by Soviet committees of workmen a year ago was symptomatic of the grave state of Affairs throughout the country, and especially in the industrial centres, and roused the nation to the necessity of stemming the rising tide of Bolshevism. Meanwhile % commission of Socialists returned from a visit to Russia and thoir reports "greatly cooled off the " childish enthusiasm built upon a sys- '■ tematio lying glorification of Lenin"ist tyranny" A split ir. the Socialist Party followed, and this, coupled with the open attacks of the Fascisti on the Communists, contributed greatly to cripple the spread of Bolshevism. To this extent Fascisti may be commended, but the movement is not free from disquieting symptoms, and cannot be said to be altogether a healthy sign in the national life of Italy. It is in its nature as subversive of responsible Government as is Bolshevism, even though its nurpose is the repression of Bolshevist activity.