BOOK FOR MUSSOLINI

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 September 1940, Page 8

BOOK FOR MUSSOLINI

MAXIM HE FORGOT. It is always useful on the advent of a new event or a new book to take down an old book. Mussolini’s declaration of war had that effect upon me, w’rites R. H. Markham in the “Christian Science Monitor.” I put aside the newspaper containing the item, and picked up “The Prince,” by Nicolo Machiavelli. It was the only book I could think of to fit the occasion. Besides, Machiavelli was of Mussolini’s Italian nationality. He served as a counsellor in the government of fifteenth-century Florence in the days of the ruling family called the Medici. Lorenza de Medici ruled Florence at the time of Machiavelli’s youth. Il Magnificio the Florentines called him because he loved splendour, and kept a court which dazzled the outsider. In writing his vade mecum, Machiavelli must have had this family in thought because he dedicated the book to Lorenzo’s grandson. Now “The Prince” is a guide to statecraft—of a sort. It gives a number,, of discourses on how rulers of men can keep their jobs. To the cynical Nicolo the qualities are all evil. Bad faith is one. “Those princes who have done great things,” said Machiavelli, “have held good faith of little account ... and in the end have overcome those who relied on their word.” Well, you may say that Mussolini is sufficiently non-Machiavellian to have kept his word with'Hitler. You may, if there was any word to keep. But there wasn’t. It is known in Europe that the military alliance with Hitler had an escape clause. The “out” was modelled on the qualification contained in Italy’s pre-world war alliance with Germany.

HAD A FREE HAND. That pre-war engagement provided that Italy must be excused from abiding, by her engagement in case of conflict with Britain. In the present case the aliance which topped off the Axis was not to come into effect for from three to five years. So the Duce had a free hand in deciding not only when to intervene, but upon which side to intervene. Machiavelli would have approved of this Realpolitik. So far he would have given full marks to II Duce as a wise prince. One mustn’t have any ties that bind for the job of being'a wise, prince in the Machiaveliah State. Or, rather, if one does permit any ties, they mustn’t be allowed to control one’s action. An action of Whatever' kind, from grabbing the domain of the African ’ to backstabbing a neighbour when he’s fighting for his'life, must follow one god, and that is the god of expediency. Mussolini t as a prince sans standards would have lived up to Machiavelli’s prescription. Ah, but Mussolini is now “bound.” He has allowed Hitler to take him completely into camp. In a Roman image, he has crossed his Rubicon, and he can’t get back. The sage Nicolo would have thrown up his hands at such rashness, especially when he saw what camp had been joined, the camp of a would-be conqueror. Says Machiavelli: “A prince ought to take care never to make an

alliance with one more powerful than himself for the purpose of attacking others . . . because if he conquers, you are at his discretion.” In sum, Mussolini was Machiavellian in everything—his unscrupulous politics, his constant study of war and it? disciplines—till this last miscalled “Machiavellian” stroke. This was when he deserted Machiavelli.