THE BLACK SHIRTS.

Evening Star, Issue 18158, 26 December 1922, Page 6

THE BLACK SHIRTS.

Ik Italy the political position at (ho moment is extremely interesting. Signor Benito Mussolini, who has taken charge, holds the reins firmly; hut it remains to be seen whether he will guide the chariot of State safely and steadily, or whether he will drive it to destruction. Certainly, like Jehu, the son of Nimshi, he drives furiously. In his zeal for reform he is imposing measures that are bound to arouse resentment and opposition. Are his followers sufficiently strong and sufficiently loyal to enable him to put his ideas into practice? The success of the Fascist! has been extraordinary. A little more than two years ago Italy was in a parlous state. Communism spread through the land, workshops and various public and private enterprises were seized and controlled hy workmen’s councils, and, with a Government in power that was weak, if not sympathetic, to tho Beds, it looked as if tho scenes which have occurred in Russia during the last few years might he re-enacted in Italy. Presently, however, an opposition movement became evident. The Fasciati, a band of patriots, came into being, and they set out to check the operations of the Beds. Violent conflicts between the two factions occurred in the cities from time to time; but gradually Mussolini and his followers asserted themselves, until about throe months ago they were in such a strong position that they were able to take over the government of the country.

The need for a stable Government is great. Italy faces a large Budget deficit and heavy financial burdens resulting from the war. In July last the council of Ministers listened to a report on the financial position by Signor Peano, who was then Minister of the Treasury, which showed that the deficit for 1921-22 would be at least 6,500,000,000 lire, and forecasted a deficit of 4,000,000,000 lire for 1922-23. The Minister said ho -believed that heavier taxation was impossible, but recommended that the present tax system be revised to prevent tax evasion. Drastic cuts in public expenses were also suggested in order to reduce the anticipated deficit for the coming fiscal year. The Facta Cabinet, however, could not command in the Chamber of Deputies adequate support to enable it to initiate and carry out any vigorous scheme of reform and retrenchment, and the ship of state continued to drift on to the rocks. At the end of July the Facta Cabinet was defeated; but, as other well-known leaders failed to form a Cabinet, Signor Facta came back with a Government composed of representatives of various parties. Meantime Die Fascist! had been acting violently, and dashes and sporadic killings occurred in many points of Italy. The result was that several districts were placed under martial law. A manifesto issued shortly afterwards by the Fascist! leaders expressed satisfaction with the part they had played in the struggle against the red tide of revolution. They dodared that the Fascist! had won on every front, that they had protected the workers’ legitimate interests, abolished the general strike for ever, and defeated the subversive elements. It urged all Fasdsti to prepare “for the greater battle which will crown our work.” Then came a startling change which culminated in the complete success of the Black Shirts. Attracted as by a magnet, numbers of the workers joined Die Fascist!. The defections were so large that it made Mussolini’s position juiassailable. His statements revealed one dominaDng idea-in-tense patriotism, love for Italy, and a desire to shape the country into one soul and one idea, with reconstruction as the keynote. Is Benito Mussolini strong enough and selfless enough to carry out his ideas? It is clear that he is a patriot and an idealist. The Black Shuts have been responsible for lawlessness and excesses, and certain .proceedings at Dio moment are more suggestive of comio opera than of real life. Subsequent events will be watched with interest to see whether the Prime Minister can suppress Dio lawless elements, and whether he has Dio strength of character, the wisdom, and the patience to lead Italy according to his desire, whidh, as he has expressed it, is prosperity and liberty for Italy and peace for Europe. The case of the Fascisti is not without its historic parallel Italy has joroduoed some notable Gari-

baldi and his Red Shifts onco brought her freedom. Can Mussolini and his Black Shirts effect her regeneration today? ■

A clean sheet at the Police Court this morning. Anxious eyes turned to the sky yesterday, in, the very early morning, looking for portents of fine ■weather, and finding little encouragement, for it was grey daybreak and the clouds hung low. Even at breakfast time the prospect was not too good, and many persons who bad to make up their minds thus early took care to provide themselves with topcoats and stout boots before venturing out for the day. But by 10 o’clock the blue sky was seen, and thereafter the people of Dunedin, with their thousands of friends from the country and from the north 1 , enjoyed a lovely summer’s day—“ one out of the box.” There were practically no fires during the Christmas season to claim the attention of the Central Brigade. A call was received at 9.44 p.m. on Saturday to the intersection of Napier street and Kenmure road, and the Roslyn section of the brigade and a machine from headquarters were quickly on -the scene. The men’s services,” however, were not required!, as it was found that some mischievous individual had sent in a false alarm from the street box. The Roslyn men also turned out at 8.45 p.m, on Friday to Passmore crescent, Maori Hill, where their services were required to extinguish, a fire in. a macrocarpa hedge. A section of the hedge was burned.

When ono of the apprentices of the Randwick (Sydney) tramer, P. M’Grath, returned to the sheds after a gallop on Magnet, he asked M’Grath. if ho could see anything, on his neck. To the_ trainer s astonishment, he saw blood 1 running down the lad’s neck and on the back of his shirt. The boy stated that ho thought someone near the three-furlong post had thrown a stone or a piece of glass at him as he was galloping. Then It was discovered the maro bad thrown both her hind‘shoes, heavy ones at that, and! one had' evidently caught the back of the boy’s head and inflicted an ugly wound. Fishermen at Scorcher Bay (says the Wellington ‘Times’) found among their catch of 150 whareou no fewer than thirteen sharks, varying from 3ft to sffc in length. Sharks are likely to bask in shallow water in the bays from now on until March, and bathers should exercise caution in venturing into deep water. A large barracouta is a nasty fellow to meet if he is in a bad humor, os was evidenced a few weeks ago, when a lad had his hand 1 badly mauled by one which jumped 2ft out of the water when ho had his arm hanging over the side of the boat. It is extremely fortunate for New Zealand _ that the grey nurse, one of the most wicked species of sharks, is rarely seen in New Zealand waters.

Ifc is apparently a great rarity to see a man or woman with a complete natural set of teeth. During the course o! an address at the Auckland Rotary Club, Mr L. Taylor mentioned that last week a man •who visited his surgery had a complete ‘set. They were perfect, and there was not an irregularity. ‘Was he married?” inquired a member, amidst laughter. Mr Taylor replied that ho was. He had travelled all around the world, and on inquiry it was found that he was not fond of bavinst 'his meals in the conventional style. He liked hard food, and was very fond of hones, which ho picked up in his fingers and cracked with his jaws. When he was in camp, _after enlisting, he ■was ordered to parade sick, and could not make it out, but was informed that it was his teeth, which made Kim more surprised than ever. When ho visited the dentist’s he found that the dentist just wished to let other military dentists see what a perfect set of teeth wore.

The Chess Congress opened at Christchurch to-day with fourteen entrants for the champlonship ; including Dunlop, the holder. The principal absentees were Barnes and Davis. The delegates were welcomed by Mr Wigram, president of the association, and a preliminary meeting was held to settle the details of play, which opens this afternoon.—Press Association.

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