MUSSOLINI’S WAY

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 622, 26 March 1929, Page 11

MUSSOLINI’S WAY

FARCICAL ELECTION IN ITALY

FASCISTS TAKff ALL SEATS (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) ROME, Sunday. The Gilbertian general election in Italy has apparently ended in the Fascists gaining 400 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, and the antiFascists none. The majority for Signor Mussolini is thus 400. Each of the 9,650,000 electors received two ballot papers. One was coloured white, red, and green, and the other plain white. The latter contained the word “No” after the question: “Are you in favour cf the Fascist list of candidates?” Few voters had the courage to hand in a white paper, and the overwhelming majority of the papers returned were those coloured to signify “Yes.” Virtually complete figures show that out of 9,650,000 electors, 8,650,000 voted, 8,506,000 being in favour of the Government's list, and 136,000 against.

The demonstration of the adherence to Fascism by the Roman Catholic clergy was even more marked in the provinces than in Rome. In many centres the dergy, headed by the bishops, wept to the poll en masse. Other features of the election were procession of peasants and workmen marching to the polls with bands and banners. It was stated that by 4 p.m. 85 per cent of the voters had registered their -«*ates.