The New Zealand Tablet WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1924. MODERN ITALY

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LI, Issue 43, 15 October 1924, Page 29

The New Zealand Tablet WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1924. MODERN ITALY

N reviewing the course of events in the Italy of the present day, there are three things that ought to be clearly remembered. The Italian Government was in the hands of anti-Chris-tions, Jews, and Masons, since the death of Victor Emmanuel; by an almost bloodless revolution, the • Fascists, under Mussolini, rid the nation of this incubus ; as a •consequence, the secret societies, which have such control of the press of Europe, use their influence against the Italian Premier, just as they do against de Rivero, and for the same reasons. The European press is like the British press, which apart from a few noble exceptions such as the Nation and Athenaeum and the Manchester Guardian] is a gigantic lie-factory, always ready to denounce as seditious every journalist who tells the truth; and, hence,' one cannot expect to find anything like fair play given to the patriots of Italy or Spain by our average daily paper. Under such circumstances, it is refreshing to find, from the pen of James Barnes, in the Dublin- Bevieiv, a bold apology for Fascism. * Fascism he conceives as' a return to the ancient Latintradition. "The Nation,"-says Mussolini, "is not the instrument of parties -for their own end. The State is the legal incarnation of the Nation. Political institutions are only efficient in so far as national values find in them expression and protection." Italy as a modern godless State failed. She must be rejuvenated and her ancient religion must he made the. soul of her. unity. The World War was the result of the bankrupt philosophies and politics of the past: it was a, judgment on a world of spiritually bankrupt peoples. The youth of Italy saw this with Latin clearness. Fresh from the fighting, they made up their minds that at least their own land would face the future unhampered by the old influences which brought ruin on the nations of Europe.. Led by a wonderfully brave and gifted man, they swept away, by a revolution unlike all other revolutions; the international and anti-national forces which were opposed to. freedom.. - They saw what the secret societies had done in Italy and -elsewhere by their schemes against the I religion of the people; and ; not ? only did; they see that there can be no sound commonwealth unless ;it - is based on /the love; arid'fear of God, .but they had "the courage to make ; their vision a-reality;; .'Good Italians must

be good Catholics ;. all that is "best and noblest in the race is bound up intimately with the ancient faith. Therefore Mussolini decreed that Fascism cannot be divorced from Catholicism. He restored the teaching -of the Catholicreligion in the schools. The clergy are recognised and honored. Religion is reinstated in : State functions. In the streets once more a reverent' 7 people welcome religious processions which so long had been either banned or exposed to the sneers of the international Jews and Masons. One must remember that this came by way of a revolution, which was almost bloodless. ; One must not be surprised that there were acts of violence; one is rather astonished that such acts were so few: if not excused they can be explained. What of the Vatican, during these momentous changes? Mr. Barnes says: "The Vatican meanwhile has displayed its customary sagacity. It has restored the damaged property as a protest against violence, but has repudiated the" party politician priest and the persons who would make of. purely religious institutions Party headquarters. Nothing is done to hamper Fascism; for the Secretariat of State are well aware of what is. occurring, of the fruit which the movement appears to be maturing. . . The important point to grasp is that Italy now desires without equivocation—the Church to be free and unrestricted in its spiritual activities and would like to see removed any suspicion that the Pope is or -might become a prisoner in the grasp of the Italian State. Only thus, it is recognised, can the Papacy exercise its maximum influence throughout the world, and only thus can Italy co-operate with the Papacy without damaging the cause she would espouse." '■■■-■ .■■' v '> ■ ..'•*." ■'-.'" ..'"." '.':;...- - By word and by deed Mussolini has demonstrated his belief that whatever is good and great in his country is due to her religion. Logically, he set himself to overthrow the enemies of that religion and to place it in honor once more. Nations robbed of religion degenerate quickly; religion is the saving vital force of a people. Fascism saw this at home and in the godless States beyond Italian borders, and now seeks to make of the Nation a Community of the Faithful, a Holy Empire, designed to gather in the course of centuries all men into its bosom. It is no wonder that such a policy, and the leader in whom it is should be hated and calumniated by every Masonic newspaper in the world, by every sordid politician who exists for his own ends and those of his party, by anti-Catholic government which is striving to drive religion out of the souls of the young by a protracted course of secular schools. When you want the truth regarding Italy, do not therefore look . for it in the propaganda sheets which spread 'the lies about the corpsefactories, about the mutilated German babies, about outraged Belgian nuns, about the Pope being pro-German, and about Germany being responsible for the war; and seek it not from editors who make outrageous statements about people and then refuse to publish an exposure of their ignorance or malice, prostituting journalism and making it a thing of shame. • " '. •' . -—1 <X*>-1— —-'■' •■---'.