FRANCE'S WAR BOGEY.

North Otago Times, Volume CVII, Issue 17748, 19 March 1927, Page 5

FRANCE'S WAR BOGEY.

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! I ITALY'S BACHELOR TAX. ! i ^ ^ ^ [

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PARIS, March 16. Itaiy has replaced Germany as \ France's war bogey. | The latest Franco-Italian quarrei i centres round Mussolini's speech jadvocating a tax on h,achelors. | . France's birthrate is stationary j and the Italian. birthrate is increas- { ?ing by 3,000,000 every four years. j Mussolini has declared bachelor- ; } dom the gravest social illness coni fronting the nation and is imposing } j a tax, which will create a fund to ; ! facilifete marriage and assist poor | j children. , / . i | "Itaiian hachelors will quickly \ 1 realise that it is betfer economy to j i marry" he said. "Those countries « ! which hy poltroonery, selfishness : ; and laxity neglect norma!, human : j development are at the mercy of i ] their more robust neighbours, who J i have a sublihie belief in the grow- i i ing power of their nation." ; Fxance is dwelling on these j words which are construed as a j threat i } wOTi.-r.WT ■ .i ■ i — > * * |