Untitled

Hokitika Guardian, 13 January 1925, Page 2

“On December 22, 1918. the Socialist, party held its first post-war congress at Bologna, where a general plan of campaign was drawn up.” This was immediately followed by a threat of strike by the postal employees. The Government gave way—the first instance of the Government’s surrender to -threats. Numerous, other strikes followed. On April 10, 1919. a twentyfour hours’s strike was proclaimed in Rome, because the Government authorities had dared to forbid a manifestation in favour of the tyiants ruling over Russia. In May railway and tramway men struck for higher wages Immediately after, the National Seamen’s Federation held up an Italian steamer conveying munitions to British troops in Russia. Seamen and dock labourers continually held up ships, so that the whole maritime trade of Italy came to be practically controlled by the executive committee of the unions. At Genoa “the Dockers’ Union was in close touch with the Seamen’s Union, despotic-ally ruled over by Captain Giulietti, half adventurer and half fanatical maniac. Gradually the whole trade of the port came to be at the mercy of the unions; one strike followed another, ships about to sail were liable to he held up at- the caprice of the seamen, leading and unloading was suspended at the caprice of the dockers. Fantastic demands would be suddenly I

advanced, with the threat of a strike if they were not granted, and the trade of Italy’s greatest port was paralysed.*’ This condition of affairs lasted at Genoa until the Fascist! intervened in 1922. In May, 1020, certain cotton

mills in Piedmont, were seized by the workmen after a strike. The owners applied to the authorities for the protection of their property, but the Government, with Signor Nitti, as Premier, issued a decree legitimatising the action of the workmen. This was the first seizure of factories. On dune :) Nitti resigned, .terrified at the menaces of the Socialists, who threatened a revolution on the question of the price of bread, “thus terminating with a supremo act of cowardice the most disastrous regime with which Italy has over keen cursed.”

Giolitti succeeded him. But strikes and revolutionary outbreaks continued, culminating in September, 1020, in. the seizure of many factories in the North of Italy hv the workmen. “Bed guards were formed of the dregs of the criminal classes, revolutionary tribunals set up, and persons trying to enter the factories, or merely passing near them, were frequently shot at.” In January, 1020, there was a postal strike. Volunteer workers broke the hack of the strike, and the strikers returned to work, “but none of the ringleaders were punished, and in many offices the higher officials who had Stuck to their duty were brutally insulted by the returning strikers.” This had boon followed by a great railway strike. The Government practically gave way, the strikers returned, and no oiie was punished. The Socialist paper, “Avanti,” published an article, headed “The railway men return to work with red flags flying.” After the seizure of the factories in September. 1020, Giolitti endeavoured to placate the revolutionaries by promising to introduce into Parliament a kill recognising the principle of syndicalist control, and, l>v compelling the employers, against their protest, to readmit all workmen who had taken part in the seizure of the factoroos. Giolitti actually introduced this hill in February, 1921, hut after his fall in June of that year the hill disappeared. After the elections of November, 1010. the .Socialist deputies, 150 strong, after adorning their buttonholes with red carnations, left the Chamber in a body as the King entered it to open Parliament. “In the new Chamber, the Fid Socialists became the most influential group, and they firmly believed that the next elections would return a Bed majority, whence a Soviet regime would arise. They at once proceeded to act as though they were already the masters, and the Government, from impotence or complaisance, more or less let them have their own way. For the next, year I tally was subjected to a tyranny exercised by the extremist parties such as she had never experienced in the course of her history as a united country.” It was in this condition of things that Benito Mussolini began to organise the Fasci, who. with the support of the Italian nation, at bottom sane and patriotic, finally suppressed disorder, and attained political power in October, 1022.