FASCIST ITALY

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 226, 19 June 1940, Page 10

FASCIST ITALY

Defence Of Racial Policy RELATIONS WITH CHURCH Signor Mussolini was given a tremendous ovation by members of tlie Chamber at the end of a speech made by the Under-Secretary to the Ministry of the Interior, Signor Buffarini, which culminated in an eloquent peroration on the aims and ambitions of Italy, stated the Romo correspondent of the London “Daily Telegraph” writing on April 26. The Duce rose a number of times to acknowledge the plaudits of the members with the Roman greeting. Signor Buffarini, who was speaking on the budget of his Ministry, said that Italy, in common with other countries, was faced with an exodus from the countryside for the more glamorous life of the towns. He produced figures to show that, in spite of the great increase in population in the last few years, the increase in the rural population was insignificant. He reminded members that Signor Mussolini had once declared that the flight from the land was “the most fatal danger to the material and moral health of the race.” If the law already in force to restrain what Italians call urbanesimo —urbanism, the conquest of the country by the town—proved inadequate, said Signor Buffarini, further legislation would be introduced. An important section of the speech was devoted to the racial policy of the Fascist party, which has found expression in anti-Jewish legislation by which Jews have been driven from Government service and from various professions. ■Signor Buffarini was obviously aware that it has-been said that the Fascist praty adopted its anti-Jewish policy to please Hitler, for he was careful to say that those who thought the adoption of this policy was an opportunist move were politically blind. “I affirm,” he said, “that nothing is changed, can be changed, or ought to be changed in our racial policy.” The statement was received with vigorous applause. Dealing with the excellent work curled out under Fascist auspices for safeguarding mothers and babies, Signor Buffarini said that if Italy could reduce infant mortality to 66 per 1006, as had Germany in 1938, they would save annually some 40,00 lives If they could still further reduce mortality to 40 per 1000, as had been done in Holland, they would save the lives every year of some 60,000 infants.

The relations of Church and State were described as good, but Signor Buffarini pointed out that it was advisable not to stress matters on which the doctrines of the Catholic Church and of the Fascist party did not coincide. The anti-Jewish policy of the party is certainly one of these matters. Another is the question whether the Church or State is the Supreme regulator of juridical and moral order in the nation.

In the peroration of his speech Signor Buffarini declared: “Fascist Italy knows what she wants. Besides material interests to 'defend, political problems to solve, she has to sustain the role of a great nation, to affirm her civil and military power and to consolidate her imperil prestige.”