The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, JANUARY 13th, 1925.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 January 1925, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, JANUARY 13th, 1925.

THE FASCISTI MOVEMENT. Apart from the direct criticism of Mr Lloyd George regarding the Fascist movement in Italy, there is much evidence of unrest within the country itself, and the opposition to the political reigning power is asserting itself somewhat. The initial growth of the Fascisti movement, however, is not without interest, for it marked the awakening of Italy in a very dark hour. “The significance of recent political developments iu Italy and the sudden and successful revolution whereby the Fascisti came into power cannot be adequately appreciated if wo consider Fascisnto ps an isolated phenomenon.

ft must he studied as a feature, albeit a most important- one, in the general picture of Italian political and economic history since the outbreak of the World War. Its beginnings indeed must be sought in certain events and tendencies preceding the war.” With these words Signor Luigi Yillari ne'in.s his hook “The Awakening of Italy,” written to explain the causes of the success of the l-'ascisti movement and of the most remarkable revolution of modern times—a revolution in favour of patriotism and the Monarchy, or ordered government and true liberty, against anarchy, disorder, and the tyranny of Bolshevism; a revolution forced upon the law-abiding people of Italy by the failure of their Government to cope with this anarchy and disorder. “The country was in such a desperate condition owing to the incompetence, inefficiency, and feebleness of its governing class and the dishonesty of many leading politicians, and indeed to the break-down of the whole machinery of government, that only a revolutionary change could bring about any real improvement. Xitti had openly favoured the Socialist- and Bolshevik elements; his isuncex'smrs, while professing a more patriotic policy, usually gave wav to the violence of lhe Beds, and when popular reaction, embodied in Faseismo, also adopted violent methods on the principle of vim \i ropcllere, they, submitted to ibis form of violence as welt, and proved incapable of preventing the daily court lets which occurred between Fascisti. Communists, Socialists and Popolari. To the mass of the Italian public the illegality of the Fascisto action was more than justified by the inaction of the State; while the Beds and even Popolari were constantly breaking the laws, the State failed to punish the law-breakers, and it was not until the Fascisti appeared on the scene that anything was done, albeit under illegal forms, to bring them to hook” Why <j : d Italy regard the Fascist movement as a liberation? And from what was it a liberation? The answer to this question is to he found in the history of the four years from the signing of the Armistice in November, 1918, to Mussolini's accession to power as Premier in October, 1922. It is a history of continual strikes, of continual repudiation of the authority of ordered government, and of the complete failure of Hie State, through its government to control the turbulent elements of society. Tlie high-water mark of the revolutionary movement was reached in lhe latter part of the year 1923, lion the workmen in many industries t">k possession of the factories and endeavoured to work them for themselves—conduct regarded by the Socialists as the beginning of practical collectivism and of the long-hoped-for dictatorship of the proletariat. Every word of the history of those four years deserves the closest study; it is only possible here to quote a few instances to illustrate that history. “The epidemic of strikes, which broke out immediately after the Armistice, was closely connected with the activities of the Socialist party. Til the'general disorder of economic life caused by the war there were indeed legitimate grievances to he righted; tlie feeling of weariness of moral shell shock after the war. and the disappointment that the end of hostilities had not at cnee re-established general, prosperity. can explain and to some extent excuse the agitations which permeated the labouring classes. But the movement would never have attained the revolutionary, anti-patriotic, and criminal character which it soon assumed hut for the action of the Socialists.