Manawatu Daily Times Italy's “Cannon Fodder”

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6677, 2 August 1928, Page 6

Manawatu Daily Times Italy's “Cannon Fodder”

Italy’s share of the limelight during the past few months is not the sort that suits her very remarkable Dictator. But while he has not as yet tied his flag to the North Pole Signor Mussolini continues to wave it in a most militant manner to the complete satisfaction of the Fascist! at home. So much so that the “Daily Express” is afraid that all this astonishing talk about militairy grandeur and glory may sooner or later cause another war.

But the' Duce is up against it. He realises that in modern warfare the guns are hungry monsters, and “cannon fodder” is scarce in-Italy. Signor Mussolini has discovered the disturbing fact that there is a serious , and steady decline in the birth-rate of his beloved country, and he has been dealing with it as a Caesar should. , : •

A tax on bachelors is his remedy and a bonus for babies’ But had the Duce possessed a sense of humour he could hardly have gone so far as he has in this painful subject, for he admits that his concern about the birth-rate is largely the’outcome, of his desire for Italy’s military glory. •

Although Italy has signified her acceptance of the American pact for the renunciation of war, Signor Mussolini continues to talk as if the future of his country were wrapped up ip its armed f legions. “Fifty thousand men can equip ten regiments of armoured ears,” he declares, “but 100,0*00 men can equip twenty regiments.” So long as these are Signor Mussolini’s standards it is useless to look for any abandonment by him of an attitude which conveys the impression of being needlessly marked by the quality of bluster.

“Babylon, Egypt, Thebes, .and ancient Home fell,” he says, “because the birth-rate fell.” It is a simple theory, but, were it justified, would it offer any useful moral for modern consumption? Otherwise.put, Signor Mussolini’s argument amounts to saying that there is safety in numbers, but this implies a consideration of the world as merely something in the nature of an armed camp. That is precisely the consideration which the more enlightened statesmen of the world are endeavouring to relegate to the background.