THE MAN WHO SAVED ITALY.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 September 1926, Page 4

THE MAN WHO SAVED ITALY.

FOUR YEARS OF MUSSOLINI. (By G. Ward Price). ROME, July 7. In October Italy will be celebrating, with pride in both past achievement and future prospects, the fourth anniversary of the Fascist Party’s assumption of power. How this modern Italian phenomenon of Fascism will develop no one can foretell, but it has 'already made a lasting mark on the history of our times and lias raised the Italian nation to a degree of order, prosperity, aid self-confidence equalled in no other European country.

Beginning as a melodramatic revolution.’ Fascism lias become all efficient and hard-working administration. From a daring and desperate experiment it has developed into a practical political philosophy. After four years’ trial its rule js more popular with Italians than any Executive lias been since they became a nation. No Government of any other State demands and gets such cheerful and unquestioning obedience. let though tho methods of Fascism are despotic its spirit is not. The concentration of national authority in the hands of Mussolini took place with tho approval of the Italian nation, which above all desired a leader who would rescue the country 1 from the Communist chaos into which it was sinking. Having accomplished, that task, Mussolini haw retained the .support of his fellow-countrymen by giving them undeniably good government. WEEDING OUT BLACK SHEEP. If a 'plebiscite qf Italy were held to-day, Mussolini would be voted back to his present office and authority by an almost unanimous nation. His rule is unquestioned, but there is no more tyranny about it than there is in that of tho captain of a football team. The new efficiency, energy, and progress prevailing in Italy impress everyone who sees them, but before going on to describe them it is natural to ask: Will they last? Wliat would hippon to Fascism and its works if Mussolini disappeared? • I find that it is the belief, not only of Italians, but of well-informed foreigners living in the country, that the Fascist Government would go on. It is steadily deepening its roots in tlie hearts of the people. For some time after ho came to power Mussolini had some black sheep around him in positions of authority. Their misdeeds reach a climax in the murder of the Socialist deputy Matteotti two years ago. Until they were found out they did great harm to tho reputation of Fascism, and it was on Mussolini’s personality alone that the. prestige of the new regime depended. Now tint Fascism has been purified of its evildoers, the benefits of national discipline and efficiency have come to bo valued for themselves, and it is almost certain that tho authority of the Fascist Party and principles lyould survive even tli© loss of their great leader.

There would no longer be a single “Head of the Government,” for no individual in Italy is capable of exercising the same personal authority. Bui .Mussolini’s office would be put in the bands of a Commission of three, consisting perhaps of two of the present Fascist Ministers anil a general. HARD WORKING AND POPULAR. There is fortunately no need to foresee such a contingency. Mussolini is only forty-three, •and m better health than when I last saw him two years ago. .Since then, ho lived for a long time almost entirely on milk, as treatment for an intestinal ulcer, but*he lias now returned to a normal diet. He takes regular horseback exercise and relaxes his mind by playing the violin nearly every afternoon. How vigorous his present- physical condition is may he judged from the amount of work he put into two recent successive days. The first of these opened with u Cabinet Council at 9 a.in., and continued with other routine work until six in the evening, when a meeting of the Council of the Fascist Party began. This continued in session until, at 1.30 in the morning, an interval of an hour was taken, since some of the- members had fallen asleep. It was resumed at 2.30 a.m. lyul lasted till six in the morning. At eight Mussolini went for a ride in the Villa Borgheso’ Park, and at ten he was back in his office starting on .another twelve hours’ work. During the ten days that I have been in Rome he lias presided over three meetings of the Fascist Party Council, each of which began at 10.30 p.m. and lasted till two or three in the morning, without reducing his working hours on the preceding or following days. ' >/ In every branch of the national life of Italy tho impulsion of this powerful personality is plainly felt. He is the most popular Minister,

both of War and Marine, that the Army and Navy have ever had. Tn those four years of Fascist rule he ha-5 started more new public works, schools, and housing schemes than had been undertaken in a whole generation before him. Ho is constantly in consultation with economic experts. He studies every question of foreign affairs with the closest attention. Delegations form all parts of Ttaly and abroad steam into the Palazzo Chigi to he received by him. Almost daily ho reviews a garrison, unveils a monument. visits a hospital, or delivers a speech. He has imposed his enneep- [ tion of what Italy should be upon the ; whole Italian nation. EARLY POVERTY. No one who remembers Mussolini’s past and knows how bitterly the sensitive nature tint hides behind his outward sternness suffered in the squalid poverty of bis young manhood can seriously believe the foolish misrepresentation of him as a reactionary. Though he may he living this summer in a beautiful villa near Rome, it is only twenty-four years ago since, ns ho wrote from Switzerland to a friend at the time, lie was

“working eleven hours a dav al threepence-an hour. I made 121 trips with a harrow-load of stones to the second floor of a house that was being built. In the evening the muscles of

my arms were all swollen.” And a few (lavs later he was reduced, as lie wrote in the same letter, to sleeping “under the Bridge of Lausanne that joins the two hills of the town. Next morning I met an Italian and told him liow I was fixed. He laughed at me. T cursed him. He put his Hand in his pocket 'ami gave me sixpence. I thanked him and darted into a shop to a buy a. loaf, which I devoured with the ferocity of Cerberus.” The memory of those hard days has done much to keep Mussolini human amid the unparallellecl power and prestige lie now enjoys. Some of the results of his use of that power I will describe in another (article.