FASCISM REGIME

Evening Post, Volume CVIV, Issue 2, 3 January 1925, Page 3

FASCISM REGIME

RAPID LOSS OF PRESTIGE VIOLENT UPHEAVAL UNLIKELY ; PEOPLE WOP.K3NG HARD AND:•''-'■ ' ' .'■: . -QUIETLY.; -. . _■ V.'i

'-...The..second year of the Fascist regime in Italy. has bean a troublous time lor those' whose heart is in the movement^., states -a. correspondent of "The Times."When they look back at the blaze of glory with which. 1923 closed and compare it with the flickering glimmers with which 1924 is closing none but the noisy: young men who still promenade Uproariously through the streets on "-"any or no expuse can be free from misgiving. The sober-minded will draw, such j comfort as they .may from' the fact that' the situation is very much better than it was five months ago. That is not; perhaps, saying . a great deal,. for last June the whole Fascist power was rocking ".and tottering. To-day the .. dis- 1 turbance of its equilibrium has dimin; ished to a gentle oscillation j but there is still a notable lack of poise, and a push from outside or an.explosion from/within may; still cause a crash. . ' ■■'/:', This is riot to suggest that there is any danger of a counter-revolution, "or of any violent upheaval.'^ The Reople of Italy continue to work hard and quietly. The country is outwardly tranquil. The public, services : are still apparently st the same pitch of: efficiency. The Fascisti themselves are still. a • cohesive and relatively unbroken mass.. They •will not make a second march on Rome, nor is the Opposition preparing a dramatic'- counter-march. The change is in the temper of the people. There is a vital cogbroken .-in the machine, which' may be labelled""prestige." It.takes little to change, the' attitude of the people towards a^polijtical movement from a cheer: to a laugh, and still less to alter a laugh ..tb.-a-'sneer. ■■.„■;■■.■'•■■':■■.■•■■---;.■• ; ; -A BITTER FEUD. < . The first established fact is', that 'this: theoretical; difference between Fascism and.ita opponents has developed into \a. bitter practical feud."• This'theoretical: difference' is the -. fundamental content between democracy and autocracy. However much Signor Mussolini maySpour contempt.; upon Hhe former and point to the size of his party, the continuance of universal franchise^ his social reforms,, and the like," there is-a very real difference between a system which considers all persons .as, citizens of theircountry, all parties fundamentally honest and loyalj and a system which reserves that title and those qualities ex-clusively-to members:o£ one party. \-;A f ayourite trick .of-; Fascist orators is .to perorate, with a series/ of ..rhetorical questions—"A chi l'ltalii? ' A chi il sac-. riflcio? \A. chi la gloria? A chi Roma?" to which/the Fascist crowd: makes ithunderous answer: "A noi." Questions and answer betray, alike a political philosophy so different from pur own. that the danger of being, made, unduly..'antagonistic is at least as great as that of being unduly dazzled. . .''■■; :.;> The-- Fascists make the "mistake . .of imagining that autocracy is necessarily" the rule of one man. .In reality, it? does not matter whether one man or a million practise the habit of • refusing to all outside. their ranks an equal chance of Parliamentary representation, . equal treatment under the laws of the country,."or declining,.;in, short, to engage^ with others ■in an equal competition for "that Italy, that -sacrifice, that glory, and that Eome." This misconception of the nature of autocracy is flagrant; ,in' every line .of Signor. Mussolini's "defensive" interviews and articles, in' which he seeks to justify the Fascist faith.' ; -:.\- --.':' ..,; .-.,,. '.'.. .. '„ '■■ •To be a:, permanent factor;, in. the life of- tKe Italian nation,;. Fascism had to show itself "sans peur eteans reproche," to.be an army of >.Bayards. That" is' 'the* only sound-basis for its claims. \lt is because'the events of the year-have indisputably 'shown that it: does not possess'this character .that-it finds itself' gradually becoming . more and ; more isolated. As- a. practical.«yste'm v j'ascis!h is still as-efficient as ever; ;.;As.* moral system-Jt has:lost;caste'.,.. ~.l. "','■■' "r"~The :beginning"6f' the-' decline' in ita prestige was hot obvious, for it was the passage of the wholly unjust , electoral law, which gave quite disproportionate advantages to the party list securing a bare majority. This r was .taking advantage of being- in power to'manipulate the Constitution. The excuse, was:the necessity , for securing 'a : stable Government. It is not valid. Now.that the Fascist*, >re lessV confident,\ they "• ■ are ■ already, talking of!changing it./ -/ ~ "

THE MATTEOTTI MURDER.-.'''-/-.. . The .next sign of moral'decline was the murdsr of ;Signor Msitteotti. ■ A political murder' is npt\.» rarity—the-Fasciats themselvea boast of 'their 3000 dead— and- it <is: rather: surprising ithat; this particular murder^should .have-produced' bo enormous a repercussion. The reason is" that :it -.wai; a : flagrant proof of tha'u inherent evils of.a Bystem. founded 'on' force. It' tainted the whole of "Fascismo from the'meanest to the greatest of'its. devotees, because it revealed to every': body", the- unreality of- their pretensions. ■ Those, implicated, were of the Pfime^Minister's,own entourage, andon* at least was his; close personal friend, and, therefoTe, since it was obviously impossible' that he could have _"been ■personally concerned; it wao demon-, atrated that he was not as omniscient as his; reputation asse?ted,hinijto.be. " ■ .-.■. This decline of the. universal belief in ■Signor \ Mussolini is the most.important, though riot'; the most apparent, - result of the Matteotti scandal, .'because the popularity; of Signor Mussolini no longer balances the unpopularity of his% followers. The tacit support of the nonpolitical masses, is shaken into bewilderment, and the Opposition goes about askihfe . whether this is tha .face that launched.* thousand promises -of a purer ■Italy/- :•' •:■■'•'.■"■ ■ ''S :- -.. The more obvious : consequence m the death.: of that Parliament from. which so much -was hoped. It is to meet on 12th November without the Opposition, and it is hardrto see how this political strike can fail to reduce, it to a body 'lacking, both authority' and respect." A second consequence has been the birth of the blessed word "normality," which has proved, after five months' iteration": to, be a mere ghost. One does not mean' that a great deal of welcome reform has not been. achieved. The immunity -of Fascists before the law has "been terminated, a few of the local ruffians have been routed out of their niches and not even the murder of an inoffensive Fascist Deputy by a madman pro;' duced excesses or reprisals^ '■■■.

"NOKMALITY." But "normality" and Fascism : are contradictions in terms. If the 'country is normal,- Fascismo comes to an end and that is why all Fascist! insist upon the continued revolutionary character of their, movement, why they will" not, disband the Militia, and why they have embarked upon theso-;called '^Conquest of the State Dy-means, of.a commission appointed to study ana propose: 'suitable auuidmcntg to the Constitution." ThusV"

.fM^th»^F-«M:uts> .A^rraalityJi; meant. merely' th* recognition of "their; supremacy, ;;whereas, for--their .opponeats, it' means '-the restoration of ■■• democracy. i It' isi-the -nature of : the Oppositioa : yrhich'"makes Fascism- still far from, a spent fdrce. • Fqr^thbtOpposition common !. policy ; stops short at the. turning put of. -the-Fascistii 1 and' ; it*-« 'highly'doubtful whether they could compose'their several ; claims-to. notice, in «rder to- take the .elementary step of presenting one single Anti-Fascist -list in the event- of an election.' The Fascists, tin" the>' othei hana, 'are'still the strongest/ and most .pohesiye single; party in the' State, and if they fell' there would certainly; be' an -interlude, of .-chaos before a*ri?w>order pf things could be established. OnVhas only td':'srislialise'. such. processei r«s rthe dis-armament;of-'the;Militia, i or-the- -reversion of Signor 'Mussolini to private 1 life, in oTdeE'^toV)e i .struck" with the"*normous complexity/.of ithe : future^ .y,;;\; All this grave uncertainty pves many to.;pause,- and tljere are «till -large numbers of people who support'ihisiGovernment because they, fear a leap in the dark.He would bea bold man who ventured to.;foretell the future-at v- ; the moment,;or the final result, of- a -struggle between the Fascisti.entrenched in office, backedby their Mijitia and-a-.fine prac-tical-;,-record-."and'".uE ] >c Opposition": out-.. ■ "upon,the Ayentine" without "'"material; fprcei,';b"utpwithj a sound moral'position 'as-" their'chief'asset. ... . P'':."-£' * ..]' AU that one .can say fortbetiine being •is th.4t; F.asca^m^ stands upojnj .its;-defence instead of- in a position" of--arrogant security;, that,it must soon ."try^ite luck at th>.:jolls, and that it will ; n6t have the^easy: time^ nor darethe-^iine methods as;iast-April. It is a i'rourj|ssome and 'difficult enough situation;'for a' for-' .eigner to gauge, and it cannot rbe eaeier for. an Italian; to .decide. '.For {no people has' ever sought" more umyersally for peace,:and.iione";has over been so uncertain as. .to;h,pKC.best tq ensure'.:it. ■'.■ 1 i