DISTURBED ITALY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 165, 6 April 1908, Page 7

DISTURBED ITALY.

GENERAL STRIKE IN ROME. TWENTY-ONE POLICE INJURED. SOME ARRESTS. BY TELEGIUrn—PItESS ASSOCIATION —COrYUIGIIT, Rome, April 3. Owing to yesterday's disturbances—arising ostensibly, out of attempts by tho police to divert the routo of n working-man's funeral—a general strike has been declared in Romo. The chief Labour leaders and Anarchists have been arrested. Twenty-one policemen were injured in yesterday's struggle. ' A SERIOUS SITUATION. LATE KING'S ASSASSIN CHEERED. Tho fact that a general strike now prevails, and that the Government have-probably as much with a view, to things to come as of things past—arrested somo Labour and ■ Anarchist leaders, indicate .that there is far more behind the disturbances in Rome than a mere funeral incident.. And thero havo not been wanting previous warnings of danger. Tho facts that an Anarchist procession has openly exalted in tho streets the late King s assassin, that the .heavily taxed , people are widely dissatisfied, .and that tho army is in. n critical state as to its efficiency, and especially its discipline, have all been driven home by the Rome'correspondent of "The Times,' who, on December 20, wrote as follows concerning the Giolitti Government:— "Signor Giolitti's chief mandate from the voters in the last general election was the protection of tho Constitution against tho sub/versive parties whose 'growth in the State was becoming a serious menace.. lie stood also pledged to mitigate, if, possible, the asperity of tho struggle between capital and labour, and, while lie kept the balance even between the two opposing, interests, to repress any attempt to carry the struggle beyond its legal limits. He seems to have failed rather conspicuously in both missions. To the credit of his Government must bo placed the: excellent financial situation of the country, which remains unimpaired. Also the passage of certain measures through Parliament, some of which, notably the Railway Service Law, were of first importance. But he has not relieved; the burden of taxation, and, while adding new laws to the statute-book,,life has neglected to enforce those that already existed. "The 'result is seen in the spread of Socialist influence in the country, in the reckless labour agitations fomented by that party, and, .what is'more deplorable-.still, in the unprecedented audacity of the •small revolutionary and anarchial groups which now openly defy, tho authority of tho State. The impunity enjoyed'' by the anarchists has- encouraged them to carry their manifestations to a length which .has. never been seen hitherto. Prince Oldescalchi and Prince Prospero Colonna a few days ago in. the Senate described a sceno which both had witnessed in the streets of Rome, when a procession carrying anarchist and revolutionary banners had paraded tho city raising cries of-■ 'Viva . Brcsei!'—tho, assassain of King Humbert. Signor Giolitti. could only answer their indignant remonstrances by protesting that ho had neither seen noi; heard of, such an occurrence; "And that, indeed, has frequently been, the policy that his Government has pursued, avoiding trouble by shutting its eyes and ears to breaches of the law., When it has been forced to act,' it has acted with, firmness and decision.: -But those cases have been more rare than, the many whero it has iavoided' action by.'convenient. blindness to' what was going on. So, too, in the oternal disputes between - capital and labour it has sought to provent conflict by conciliating the most ,dangerous party to the dispute, allowing the labour leaders to break, the law frequently in the illegal pressure which tliey exei'cised-upon tho other side. . It was tho slowness of tho authorities in,; vindicating the law of the land which helped more than anything else to prolong and i embitter the strike at Terni, and the agricultural strikes which inflicted such a heavy loss this year on tho provinces of Ferrara and Apulia. "But the most disquieting result of thin policy of', 'laissez-aller'.'is the spread of a' spirit i-of -insubordination ' through 'every branch of the service of the Stato. • Discipline to-day-is a virtue but lightly regarded. Even the army, the pride, and safeguard of United Italy, l has not remained altogether unaffected by this spirit, and .officers ventilate their grievances' in tho columns of tho Press. . Signor Giolitti can hardly be blind to a danger which seems to havo strongly impressed the country, and it may bo hoped that he will find means of counteracting the influence-to which his own policy has given riso.' I ''.-. Those who fear the possibility of King Emmanuel of Italy meeting with the fate of his predecessor. King Humbert, and that of King Carlos, will probaly inot bo reassured by tho following despatch from Rome:— "A visit of the King to tlio Victor Emmanuel monument in Rome on January 7 , was made tho occasion^of a-demonstration on the part of a number of stonemasons who have been out of work for some time owing to the failure of the supply'of stone. As the King was leaving - the monument a considerable number of these men gathered round the carriage'and called to his Majesty to right their griovance, domandiftg bread and work. ' ;The police had some difficulty in clearing the 'way and their purpose -was only 'effected after an unseemly scuffle. -A few arrests-were made, but all the prisoners wero -af hnvards released. ..