THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 1935. MUSSOLINI'S VOICE IN ITALY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22546, 13 April 1935, Page 12

THE OTAGO DAILY TIMES SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 1935. MUSSOLINI'S VOICE IN ITALY

The- - most outspoken statesman in Europe is Signor Mussolini. He does not disguise his meaning. He lias no local opposition and therefore has not to hedge off or cloud his meaning. He is confident of his backing, and of his own personal power. There are now some 2,000,000 members of the Fascist party, recruited not at random, but from the youth organisations. About 400,000 new members are being brought in each year, at present mostly from the upper and middle social levels. Fascism differs from Communism in that it admits private enterprise and property, though the State keeps an eye on profits and enforces arbitration in industrial disputes. Signor Mussolini, while an autocrat, fosters socialistic ideas, except that he allows no criticism of his policy. School children are taught the litany, " Mussolini is always right." Criticism of methods is, however, allowed. Hence it is that Italian newspapers, like those of Germany and of Russia, are monotonously in unison—they all sing the same tune, each under its respective conductor. Social services, as understood in British countries, are yet in an undeveloped state in Italy, despite all that has been done for children's health and for physical betterment of the race. Signor'Mussolini favours country life because it is a life of open air and strength-giving occupations, and not so prone as huge urban aggregations of workers to breed unrest. Owing to the shortage of coal and iron in Italy, rural industries are the natural resort of the population —indeed fifty per'cent, of the_ Italians are engaged in rural occupations. A great deal has been done for production, more than for social distribution of goods. Marshes have been drained and made habitable, waste tracts of land have been reclaimed and made productive, roads, bridges, tunnels, and all the appurtenances for internal communication immensely enlarged and improved. A direct advantage of all this work has been the checking of unemployment. Of course, of those who join the Fascist ranks some do so because it pays, —it opens the road to advancement; others, of course, particularly the young, are dazzled by the glamour of a great idea, a totality State, visibly incarnate daily in the person of the Duce, who seeks no personal aggrandisement, but works on like some colossal machine that bears down all that confronts it.

Signor Mussolini is wise in looking to youth for support. He imposes an oath on entrants,— "I swear, in the name of God and Italy, to execute the orders of the Duce, and to serve with all my strength, and, if necessary, with my blood, the cause of the Fascist Eevolution." As the Government controls all the schools, and practically controls the various universities, it can indoctrinate the young without opposition. The Catholic Church is kept to its spiritual sphere, and may form groups only for religious instruction. On school walls are written the ten commandments of the Fascist militia. The first of these is—" The Fascist, and especially the fighter, must not believe in perpetual peace." The fifth is—" Your rifle and cartridges are confided to you, not to be ruined in mischief, but to be preserved for war." Signor Mussolini professes a desire for peace, but he asserts bluntly that a cannon is a lovely thing, and that to be resolved to fight and, if necessary, die for one's country gives a sense of value to life. Further, economic disputes between nations inevitably lead to war; and the weak are trodden down. The sublime egotism of the man is equal to that of Napoleon. Imagine any man dictating to a nation's youth commandments that " Mussolini is always right," and that " One thing must be dear to you above a ll_th e life of the Duce "! The constant instilling of obedience, duty, conformity, docile acceptance of the ducal policy will cement the race, but will it kill initiative, will it destroy spontaneity, and hence liberty and progress? Signor Mussolini himself grew up under a bad old unorganised Italy, but at least he was at times left free to run his. own newspaper, to be a Socialist, and to distribute free criticism on every policy and institution in the land. He has made the press and public platform simply a multiplication of one voice, —his own. He is, so to speak, the original gramophone record, the first and only speaker at the microphone. Efficiency, unity, totality? Yes, but at what a price! He regards the British way as ramshackle, without a compass, a goal, a bond of unity. Yet it has stood a thousand years and seems in no danger of decease. Organisation spells efficiency, but organisation of men's private thoughts and suppression of criticism of public policy will only produce in time a race of automata. Where are the men of free will, trained in executing their own designs, to succeed him? A great nian truly, but what will be the result in another fifty years?