The Daily News. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1922. POLITICAL REGENERATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 November 1922, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1922. POLITICAL REGENERATION.

The result of the Fascist coup in Italy conveys several lessons which other countries may well take to heart, while there are other aspects of this remarkable movement that may cause wonder, as well as consternation. The outstanding feature of the Fascist! upheaval is that it presents patriotism as a force that still counts in political regeneration. Italy has given other illustrations of intense patriotism taking command of the situation, and in its own way commanding the situation. Less than a century ago, when Italy was a nation torn and bowed down under the most enervating of clerical and monarchal despotism, a young Genoese, Guiseppe Mazzini, founded the society of “Young Italy,” which was devoted to securing unity and independence—a national Italy, one independent, free and republican. Fyffe speaks of Mazzini as “a conspirator in the eyes of all governments, a dreamer in the eyes of the world, a prophet or evangelist among those whom his influence led to devote themselves to their country’s regeneration.” There is a significant difference between the mental and moral attitude of the man who stops at conspiracy and the man who stops at nothing. It was the plan of Young Italy to establish a republic, but Mazzini’s methods were those of the man who stops at nothing, yet they were the means of producing patriots of a more practical type, who condemned the extreme democracy of Mazzini, and brought to the front the Count di Cavour, whom history has honored with the title of the maker of Italy, but Italian independence was evolved not

only by Cavour the statesman, but also by Mazzini the prophet, and Garibaldi the knight errant. Italy may be said to have had its share of daring patriots who have come to the front in times of crisis, sometimes proving a blessing and at others the reverse, but due allowance must, be made for the temperament of the race, and the craving for excitement. At the last general election there was a wave of Communism in evidence, attributable to the effects of the Great ’War, and for a while it was uncertain whether Monarc.hial Government would survive. That the Government was notably weak is proved by the manner in which the poet d’Annunzio defied it with impunity, and the toleration of dangerous intrigues by the Communists. It has for some long while been evident that the Fascist!, whom Signor Mussolini brought into being in order to stamp out the Communistic movement, were the dominant force in Italy, and that it was only a question of time when they would become the administrators of the. country. They are said to repre-; sent the best interests in Italy, and comprise a large number of workmen who, “for love of their' country,” have seceded from the extreme trade unions. That their method of attaining power was

not any more constitutional than that of Mazzini or Garibaldi must be conceded, yet it is difficult to conceive how they could have attained their goal by any other means than by determination and ; the use of force. The combination of might and right does not justify revolutionary movements, but it was a case of meeting an emergency in the most effective way for upholding king and country. The Fascist! are neither traitors nor rebels, and it remains to be seen if they can make good in the role of political regenerators. Practically they have already succeeded in crushing the extremists, thus preventing the spread of Communism and lawlessness. It is this phase of the movement that should interest other nations and those therein who are a menace to law and order. The Fascisti, success in this direction should stimulate all patriots in every country to join hands -against those who plot and work to bring chaos and destruction where peace, unity and progress should reign supreme. It will certainly be interesting to note the progress of events in Italy, and it is to be hoped that the cause of democracy there will be well served.