DEFENCE OF STATE

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 50, 23 November 1926, Page 3

DEFENCE OF STATE

BILL PASSED BY ITALIAN SENATE STRONG CONDEMNATION OF MEASURE Bi Telegraph.— passs association. COPI’UIGHT. Rome, November 21. The Senate, by 183 votes to 49, passed Hie Defence of the State Bill. Signor Mussolini declared. “The Bill Is not due to outrages, which leave me profoundlv indifferent, and if those making me the object of. their tenacious ‘ballistic’ intentions think they are employing intimidation, they are completely and ridiculously mistaken. Nevertheless; these episodes disturb the nation’s life, and cause spiritual uneasiness. The people's demonstrations have definitely proved their demand for extraordinary measure#, and I shall personally select the special tribunals which will not perform vengeance, but justice.” (Rec. November 22, 6.50 p.m.) London, November 22.

The “Daily Chronicle's” special correspondent, lately in Italy, stales that the country is being placed under the most diabolical “Dora” (Defence of the Realm Act. in force in Britain in war time) it is possible to conceive. All political parties, except Fascist, are being abolished. Only Fascist newspapers are allowed to exist, and unofficially lists of hostages and of people who will be summarily executed, if anything happens to Signor Mussolini,’ are being ■ drawn up throughout the country. What justice, a correspondent asks, will a political prisoner receive from an officer of the artnv and five members of the Fascist militia? The whole procedure will be that of a court-martial in war time. No one will dare give evidence for the defence before such a packed tribunal. A system of espionage is being built up thiough concierges, which will reach every household.

MUSSOLINI’S VIEWPOINT

STRIKING INSIGHT A striking insight into Signor Mussolini’s point of view is afforded by an interview secured by the Rome correspondent of the United Press, says a London message of November 101 The interviewer had _ great difficulty in directing discussion to attempted assassinations. _ Signor Mussolini waved a band with negligent gesture and said: “These are relatively unimportant things to discuss.” When pressed for an answer, he said: "I do not know what protects me from assassins. Certainly it is some- ' tiling mystic. I shall live on till mv works are finished.”

Tn reply to a question, Signor Mussolini dismissed democracy as the "gorgeous trappings a rich nation might wear.” He added: “We are repeating history nowadays, the history of the Roman Caesars.” “Caesar,” he exclaimed, “my great inspired I have his bust before me always,’’ and he pointed to a bust on the wall before his desk.

“T kenp that there as a constant inspiration.” continued Signor Mussolini. "Dictators sprang up periodically in those glorious days.. We need a dictator now to reorganise the nation and revivify the State after the wrongs inflicted by democracy. We are doing things now. We are marching forward. We are producing. We are building. “We are building a steamer which will travel from Italy to N?w York in five days. It will be the fastest in the world and will be built in such a way that it will, in (ruth, plough the ocean—cutting a wake that will resemble that of a high-speed motorboat.”

Signor Mussolini said that he hoped soon to abolish Press censorship.

The dictator rose and stretched his vigorous muscles. “You see me today?” he said. “I am robust and full of fight. My strength is as great as ever.”