AS HE SOWS

NZ Truth, Issue 1153, 5 January 1928, Page 4

AS HE SOWS

<« The Truth About Mussolini (By "The Lancer.") Seething undercurrents bring revolution; revolution is war; war is destruction— and yet the world's greatest booster, Prince of Egotists, Signor Mussolini, is trying to bluff an already gullible enough world, that his policy is con^ structive. TF the arch booster were merely Vair, one could pardon, if not undfl--stand, his fondness for mob leaderslip; his obsession for notoriety. If he were merely ambitious he could not but be lauded, even thovgh he wished to out- do another listorio figure in Napoleon. Where Mussolini sends out a clarion call for children and still mote children, he touches the popular bhord of praiseworthy advocacy. Likewise, where he vigorously assails ultra-snobocracy and tit-es which could be bought like so muchisausagemeat, he draws salvos of applause from his vast gallery. But the other side of Mussolini's "policy" is one of utter damnation. He is flinging an unbreakable iron band about the souls of thousands of his good Italian people. He is breeding, slowly Ibiit surely, undercurrents which carx-y4 whispers — whispers such as led to thh appalling French Revolution^ £ And Mussolini the Grea\ does, not think in terms of small fceography. He looks to master and Icrush the whole world. He is mobilizing; he is building armies and fleets, \ and cultivating the air side of warfare to an unprecedented degree. t Can it be suggested thl t he is frightened of an attack o)n Italy? or . , f At any rate, he is synchronizing his cry to arms with a gentle, Mercenary coo for babies, offering gratuities and prizes for record breakers jn family folk. ! This son of a blacksmith, whose blazing eyes flash defiance even at tne camera before which he poses, might yet over-step iiis leade - ship;; he' might conceivably/go beyond the fringe of practicability] in his mad scheme of super-ultra refof-m. _ . ■ PAST LESSONS f" J It should not be forgotten that it was a madman who caused the last war, yet he bluffed his millions that it was not merely sane but even intellectual and far-sighted. Human blood is too precious to De recklessly spilt by fools, parvenues or the mere puppets of moral, commercial or financial gain. Mussolini must watch his step. The danger points of Mussolini's present programme are not difficult to locate. Firstly, he has placed a ban on individual expression of thought. He has sought to mould the necessary complexity of the natural mind, to his own cast. A man is allowed to think in Italy to-day, but if the processes of his mind lead to deductions that do not coincide with Mussolini's, he has committed a crime immediately on enunciating his theories. In other words, free speech is a crime and anything anti- Mussolini, is punishable under a rigid code. This little enough, but far-reaching" fact alone is sufficient to provide the seed of discontent. But there is abun- I dant soil to cultivate it. ' Not a, single newspaper in Italy is allowed to be published if it contains one word which is foreign to the views of the Duce or his black-shirted brotherhood. The penalty imposed by Mussolini for such a terrible crime is drastic enough to silence any voice that might be raised in humble and respectful opposition. None must question what the Dictator, in his but human deduction, puts forth as irrefutable wisdom. Quite naturally, this palpable suppression of opinion and thought, but happily not conscience, drives the trouble deeper into the side of Italy. Like the history of the parasite in the human flesh, it might break out in an ugly rash some day, and even defy quickly applied antidotes. There is such a thing as an incurable malady. The Dictator, having muzzled, tbe Press, and therefore the sources of information, thus reaches out for the most powerful reins in international affairs.

Cables to the. world outside are Mussolini- tainted — Mussolini cables. They are made to speak in Mussolini lang'uage of Mussolini success, leadership, prosperity and the glory that is generally Mussolini. No voice can be heard to the contrary. What may be the truth cannot come to the top if .it happens to be anti-Mussolini. Neither can a disgruntled Italian, shocked and stunned by the ruthless disregard for the exercise of public opinion, leave his country. The doors of emigration are practically closed. It is becoming more altflcu'lt every day in Italy for the people to leave that country. The manacles are tightening. This is tantamount to bottling up too much inflammable material to be healthy for the future.