MUSSOLINI.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20919, 28 July 1933, Page 11

MUSSOLINI.

HIS PERSONALITY AND | WORK. | ADDRESS BY MISS G. MERTON. i j A vivid account of Mussolini, his life, personality, and work, was given last night by Miss G. Merton at a meeting of the Historical Association held at Canterbury College. Mr A. K. Anderson occupied the chair, and introduced the speaker. Mussolini himself, as a man, rather than the political and sociological questions of democracy and dictatorship, was the main theme of Miss Merton's address. "I hope to show you that in Mussolini we have one of the greatest creative personalities in the world at the moment," said the speaker. "But we have to consider whether such a man is merely born, not made. Did he spring fully armed from the head of Jove, or was he washed up like a cork on the surface of the current, or does he resemble a tree-trunk, first swept on by the current, and then immovably fixed in one place by the current, and dominating that which placed it there? The latter figure implies an element of the fortuitous; and it seems to me that fortuitous is not a word one can apply to Mussolini. To quote his own words, Mussolini is one of those 'who turn wonderfully to account the successive lessons of life, because from the very beginning he was so constituted as to welcome them.' A Versatile Man. "Single minded, purposeful, always with a definite end in view, at the same time a sublime opportunist, as all true statesmen must be, seizing the opportunity with both hands, even with tooth and nail, and making the most of it. Listen to his own words: 'Yes, I am obsessed with this wild desire—it consumes my whole being. I want to make a mark on my era with my will, like a lion with its claw; a mark like this!' And as with a claw he scratched the covering of a chair back from end to end. A wonderful

man this, and versatile—teacher, journalist, philosopher, organiser, orator, statesman. Always the man of action, the leader of men. And always too arrogant, self-confident, yet efficient withal." Mussolini was born in 1883 in the' Rowagra, the son pf a blacksmith with socialist leanings, and an intelligent mother, who taught in the small village school at Dovia where I Benito began his education. One of the strongest influences in his life was his love for his mother; and, being brought up in the Row- | agra, he had always been enthusiastic about the glories of ancient Rome, and had looked forward to a time when Italy would renew her 1 greatness. On this basis of course, j he had founded his government. I I He had gone later to a church j school at Faenza, and after leaving [ that had been trained as a teacher. Even at the age of 19 he had acquired a reputation for oratory, and after a difference of opinion with the mayor he had vacated his position and taken his departure for Switzerland. His experiences there, when he had worked first as a navvy and later as a skilled stonemason, had made him unsympathetic with whiners, but full of sympathy for those who had to suffer hardship. He had had many short periods of imprisonment, but these had not brutalised him.' Socialism. He had come finally to Zurich, when he heard more about Marx, and noted the stress laid by Geneva Socialists on organisation and discipline. It was then that he had realised his love for Italy to be the dominating force of his life; and so in 1904 he had returned to his father. After teaching again for a year he had become a journalist,

and was sent by the Socialists as their agent to Trent, on the frontier of the unredeemed provinces. Mussolini had been accused of deserting the Socialist party, said the speaker. Actually, he had been a Socialist when Socialism had meant prosperity for Italy, and good conditions for all classes, and revolt against materialism; but he was just as antagonistic to the materialism of the Socialist political jobbers as to the weakness of the Government. He had worked with Cesare Battisti, the patriot of Italia Irredenta, and together they had run a paper. In 1914 Italy was in a parlous position. Her parliamentary system was at the lowest stage of ineptitude; members of parliament were interested in nothing but party tactics, and neglected Italy's interests altogether. A new Italian patriotism was, however, being fostered by writers and journalists. In June, 1914, an attempt to overthrow the Government broke out, and one of the leaders, of course, was Mussolini. The failure of this "Red Week/' chiefly because of the incompetency of the other leaders, so disgusted Mussolini that he now began to break away from the Socialist party organisation. A Soldier of Italy. Called up during the war, Mussolini fought with the Arditi, doing invaluable work in the trenches in keeping up the morale of the troops, at the same time working to keep up the morale of the people at home, through his paper, "II Popoli d'ltalia," which he had founded to rouse public opinion in the cause of intervention. Then came Peace, with its consequent disappointment and disillusionment. Strikes were the order of the day, ] and in the elections of 1920 Italy went red. But already the year before Mussolini had formed his Fasci di combattiments, with their Roman ideals and Roman salute, in answer to a Bolshevist demonstration at Milan, and from this time the numbers grew rapidly. Discipline was its watch-word, and it became a sort of counter-Government exercised by groups all over the country. It had been founded to create a rebirth of the victory spirit, so that a general strike, proclaimed in 1922, failed , completely because the Fascists took control and kept all services going. The Fascist executive was now strong enough to present an ulti- , matum to the Government. On September 29, 1922, Mussolini made his famous declaration in favour of a monarchy, which brought him many hitherto doubtful supporters. Plans were laid for the "March on Rome"; and on October 30, while the columns of Black Shirts were marching on qp, Ms. _

! own initiative and sent to Milan for Mussolini to form a Government; and 1 the new Premier arrived in Home on the same day as the first columns of Black Shirts entered the city. National Spirit Revived. Speaking of Mussolini's achievements, Miss Merton said that he had created the national spirit of Italy. which had been woefully lacking. His enthusiasm had had a wonderful psychological effect, his optimism overcoming the pessimism which had permeated Italy in the 19th century. He had reintroduced the efficient organisation and discipline of ancient Rome. A vote of thanks to the sneaker was moved hv Mr and seconded by Miss A. M. F. Candy.