The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 1926. THE ITALIAN SITUATION.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 April 1926, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 1926. THE ITALIAN S ITUATION.

Thk fortunate escape of Mussolini in the shooting incident the other day has been a. mutter for congratulation. As an. exchange remarks, under the standards which have grown up during the autocratic control of Signor Mussolini violence in Italy tends to assume a normal aspect. At the same time the attack on the outstanding figure m the country at a critical period in his tempestuous career is certain to arouse intense feeling amongst his countrymen. Indeed it may serve to raise him higher than ever in the popular fancy of the emotional people he rules and smooth away many of the difficulties which of late have confronted him. So much lias happened since Signor Mussolini assumed power in Italy that it is difficult to believe that only throe years and a half have passed .since King Victor Emmanuel invited hint to form a Ministry. Although he lias ruled as an inutocratic dictator, and lias figured at times of late in the character of a distempered firebrand, Mussolini has much good work for Italy to his credit. The record of his tl.ireer since he was placed at the head of affairs is a strange pathwork of light and shade. On the eve of his elevation to jioivor. Italy was in a fair w»iv to become a prey to Bolshevism. A political organisation’ having as its central feature an exaggerated system of group politics hid proved incapable of coping with after-war economic exhaustion, and the discontent it generated. In finding ami applying the remedy for these conditions, Mussolini showed himself a strong land able man. Under his leadership the downward plunge of the lim was arrested, the national finances were rehabilitated, and the people of Italy settled down to the task of bringing hack better times by hard work. This is the bright side of Mussolini’s record. In contrast there is to be set the fact that he lias maintained himself in power by methods that are mildly described as unscrupulous, and that ho has developed a reckless intemperance of language in drilling with foreign affairs as has threatened to endanger European peace. In his later speeches there is much to suggest that he is posturing before the world as a sabre-rattling despot. It is 'doubtful if the annals of statesmanship can show any more recldess defiance than the dictator of

Italy hurled at Germany somo weeks ago over the question of the Southern Tyrol. In the course of his speech he claimed, it is true, that Italy had gone out of her way to meet the requirements of the German population now living under hew rule, but the dominant note of his utterance was one of unbridled defiance and denunciation. If a tourist boycott were organised by the Germans and obtained even “the tacit tolerance” of responsible authority, he declared. Italy “would answer with a boycott squared,’’ and to any possible reprisals she would answer “with reprisals cubed.” His concluding words wero a bcllieos< threat of war. He hoped, be said, that his speech would be understood by those concerned in such, a way that the Italian Government will not have to resort- to a concrete answer, as it ■would re-sort to-morrow should the German Government assume the responsibility of what ha.s happened or what may still happen in Germany

Fascist. Itav can, if necessary, carry the Tricolour across the Brenner. She can never lower it. 'flic autocratic power of Signor Mussolini is <iow being challenged to some extent by members of his own party ns well as by outside opponents. How far schisms have divided the Fascist ranks is not yet clear, but much as Signor Mussolini has done for Italy there is much in the record of the party that must repel and humiliate.