LIBERTY IN ITALY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19094, 12 August 1925, Page 13

LIBERTY IN ITALY.

MUSSOLINI'S DEFENCE. REJOINDER BY THE TIMES. DOMINATION BY MINORITY. An interesting discussion of tho measure of liberty permitted under the Fascist regime in Italy arose recently from criticism by the London Times of recent, legislation. The article provoked Signor Mussolini to write to tho Times questioning the conclusions set fourth in tho article.

"It does not correspond with facts that the last bills voted by the Italian Chamber aro against the most elementary liberties, whereof you will bo convinced by carefully considering the articles of the aforesaid laws," Signor Mussolini wroto "It is not truo that patriots are discontented. On the contrary, the truth is that tho opposition is carried on by a small dispossessed group, while the enormous majority of the Italian people works and lives quietly, as foreigners sojourning in my country may daily ascertain. Please note also that Fascism counts 3,000,000 adherents, whereof 2,000,000 are Syndicalist workmen and peasants, thus representing the politically organised majority of the nation. Even the Italian Opposition now recognises the great historical importance of tho Fascist experiment, which has to be firmly continued in order not to fail in its task of morally and materially elevating the Italian people and also in the interest of European civilisation." Comment in Rome Suppressed.

The contents of the letter were telegraphed to Rome, and the Corriere Delia Sera published an article commenting on it. It remarked that the letter would afford at least a melancholy satisfaction to that part of Italian journalism which believes in tho freedom of the press and is convinced of the absolute uselessness of any enforced silence. As no Italian prefect could make his orders of sequestration effective in London, Signor Mussolini, wishing to contradict the Times, had no other course open to him than that of a free discussion.

"This authoritative statement, coming from the head of the Italian Government, may be accepted by some readers of the Times, yet being directed to a people ac customed to liberal and democratic wayß it would have been surely more convincing if it had been substantiated by facts," the Corriero added. "How can the Times believe that the Fascist experiment is to be carried on in the interests of European civilisation if to the English mind this civilisation rests on liberty and on the principle of the superiority of tho State over all political parties? Should tho Italian citizens still preserve their fun damental liberty, as Signor Mussolini affirmed in his letter to the Times, they would have the right to criticise the new constitutional reforms. But such right has been suppressed. It is not the first time that the head of the Government speaks spitefully of the Opposition to foreigners, unable to judge of the real state of affairs; but the judges cannot hear tho free reply of that opposition. There is much talk of Rome nowadays in Italy, but what is forgotten is tho old Roman sentence, 'Audietur et altera pars." Yet freedom of discussion in Italy would be the only means of creating a less alarming opinion of the conditions of tho country."

The edition of the Corriere containing this article was sequestered soon after it was issued.

Revolutionary Dictatorship.

However, the Times was not corvinced by Signor MussoliniV letter. "The character and the extent Df the services which the 'Duce' has rendered to Italy have been fully recognised in many articles upon the movement, it observed. "It has been acknowledged again and again that Fie saved her from a social peril which was imminent and great, and that he reformed many scandalous and inveterate abuses, while the hope has been not less frequently expressed that ho would know how to prepare her for a gradual return from revolutionary dictatorship to constitutional rule.

"Signor Mussolini says that the bills just passed by the Chii/mber, including the Press Bill, the Civil Service Bill and the bill investing the Government decrees with the forco of law, uro not against the most elementary of liberties. That contention may bo left to the common sense of the public. The closing sittings of the Chamber and his address to the Fascist Congress were the occasion of the article to which Signor Mussolini takes exception. The number of a leading Italian newspaper of very moderate Liberal views which reported the address was suppressed in one edition for commenting upon the sittings. Threa Out of Forty Millions.

"The 'Duce's' boast that Fascismo has 3,000,000 supporters who represent 'the political organised majority of the nation' may be referred to the same tribunal. The nation numbers 40,000,000 Italians. What right have these 3,000,000—if, indeed, thero are 3,000,000 Fascists—to represent them ? Signor Mussolini says quite truly that the enormous majority of the people are working and living quietly and he denies that patriots are discontented. If the discontented are but 'a small group' why is it necessary to gag the press, to forbid free speech, to forbid public meetings and to arm the executive with arbitrary and practically irresponsible powers ? "Signor Mussolini declares that the movement must be 'firmly continued' for the moral and material elevation of the Italian people and in the interests of European civilisation. There is difficulty in seeing how it can benefit either. The 'Duco,' however, is quite, uncompromising. 'Our so-called ferocious volonta totalitaria,' ho declared to tho Congress, 'will be prosecuted with still greater ferocity,' and 'become the dominant principle of our activity.' 'Absolute intransigence,' ho added, 'is the first watchword.' With such principles and such a watchword misgivings aro inevitable. We believe that Signor Mussolini sincorely and earnestly desires tho welfare of Italy. We are convinced that this policy is not in the long run tho way to promote it."