The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-05-11
JUNE ELECTIONS
OVER IN ITALY
Socialists Expect to be Successful In
Eleetins Block to Parliament
Which viii be
Large.
GROWTH OF THE PARTY
Official Figures Given Out Showing
the Number Of People Re-
ceived by Pope
Plus.
[By Henry Wood, Rome Correspond

ei45hEi4l 6uC OF L09 united HTeSS.
ROME, May 10.-With the coming
general elections in June, 1t now
seems certain that the socialist party
will elect block to parliament suffi-
GENTLY large as to place the party in
Italy on the same basis it has already
reached in Germany, namely, where it
can control a goodly amount of the fu-
ture legislation to be enacted.
The opportunity to attain this end
at one jump, has been placed in the 3
hands Of the socialists by the enacr-
Ing last year Of an almost universal
suffrage law, and the socialists have
not been slow to seize the occasion.
The party has been the only one in
italy that has ever shown any faculty
for organization and holding together
its members and all Of Its ability
along this line is now being employ
ed in a nation wide campaign to win
lover a goodly portion of the new
votes that will be cast in June when
the first election under the new suff-
rage law will be held
At the present time the socialists
already have some thirty seats in
parliament. These were secured I'M
der a suffrage composed almost en-
tirely of the Weather and more ar
istocratic classes, and when in all
| Italy there were only about 100000
voters. Under the new law nearly
lone-fourth of Italy's population of 49,
| mn 00n rrrill "a a. 1lxy o,,l1v
TAIL Of the new voters will come from
the poorer and middle classes among
which the socialist party more easily
I finds it recruits.
| How effective is the work which
the socialists are now doing to gain
new recruits is already to be seen
without even the test of an election.
In the first two months of 1912 there
were only in Italy 4701 members
paying dues into the Central council.
When in the early part Of that year
| it became certain that the UNIVERSAL
suffrage law would be enacted, the
party at once got busy that 1t might
be able to profit to the fullest pos.
sible extent whenever the first cleo
ton under the new law should be-
held.
| Now, with the election still two
months away. the party already has
! tripled it's paying membership and
| 1854 voters are enrolled In addi-
4 ton schools have been founded In an
parts of Italy for the training OF or
ganizers and the moment these are
graduated they begin active work.
How effective their work Is is shown
lin the fact that since the last nation
al sociaiistic congress 272 new
branches have been organized
The committee now in charge OF
the propaganda for the coming cleo
4 ton has arranged for socialistic
4 candidate in every parliamentary dis
! trict in Italy. The coming election,
/ therefore, is not only expected to give
4 the party pretty much of a controlling
4 block in the chamber of deputies, but
will serve also to show the precise
present strength of the party in Italy.
The increase it seems certain, will be
fully as startling in it's national and
international significance as was the
unexpected strength of the part
shown in the elections last year In
i Germany.
Official figures today We're given out
by the vatican on the number Of people
received in private audience by Pops
Plus during the year ending March
81. The total is 1887, being distrib-
uted through the year as follows: IL
5S1 for the first three months; 20 ZIG
for the second; 9,S46 for the third
and S,054 for the quarter just ended.
These figures do net include the al.
; most countless thousands of pilgrims
presented to his holiness in groups
running up to 200 and 500
Owing to the vatican's celebration
throughout 1913 of Constantine
year" it is believed that If the pope's
heath permits. the above figures VIII