Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1920-11-04

syndicate repose their hopes of an
early surrender of the industrial
soviet. Still, in certain factories the
workers are said to be forging arms
with which to defend their labor, their
organization and the property they
have appropriated for their own doubt
full profit.
Seek Control Of Products.
The metallurgical plants controlled
by the Employers syndicate have had
to deal with two organizations of
workers, called the Federazione Ital-
lana Operai Metallursical and the Sim
dacato Nazionale Operai Metallurgici,
Or respectfully the Italian Federation
of Metallurgical Workers and the Ma
tiOnal Syndicate of Metallurgical Work.
ers. Both seek the same end, COM
plete control of products from factory
TO consumer, but while the federation
would proceed by slow means and
through cooperative methods between
the workers and the directorate, the
syndicate would go the limit at once
and absorb both factory and business
office with all their functions without
more ado.
The scheme of the syndicate has
prevailed over that of the federation,
fastened toward It's end by the gener-
al lockout. Up to the time of the "di-
rect action" the manfestOs printed in
the press of either disclaimed all idea
of any political revolution and af-
firmed that the crisis which they were
facing and the means they would take
to win were purely economic.
Ever since the Giolitti government
came into power. in the middle of
June, the revolutionary industrial
press has taken pains to separate itself
from the press that was politically rev.
OlutiOnary, for 1t was discovered that
while articles In the former We're ig
nOred by the government articles in
the latter, alleged to inspire seditiOn
and armed revolt. caused the suppress
sion of the papers printing them.
AT the same time many persons be-
lieved that the advocates of an indus
trial revolution really had a political
revolution in contemplation. and that
to make the latter inevitable they had
simply to press the industrial revOlu-
ton to its logical conclusion, when,
with all the industries of the country
under the soviet regime, all political
government would cease, having moth
ing more to govern, just as all capital
would become useless, having no long
er any function to perform.
To these persons the establishment
of soviet rule In the industries of the
metallurgical region did not come as
surprise, for they had seen the syndi-
cate at work before it had attempted
to divest itself of its political charac-
ter on the coming of Giolitti. There
was the campaign carried on against
the "pescecani," which had even
caused Nitti and the representatives
of the great metallurgical plants to de-
fend themselves in the chamber. And
there was the epidemic Of strikes.
often merely called for day and in
sympathy with an unfortunate worker
who had been killed by the police or
who had been merely discharged for
some reason or other.
Anarchy Before the Seizure.
The demonstrations against the
"pescecani" and the parades which
had accompanied the strikes, called for
whatever cause. had been accompanied
by deeds of anarchy engineered by the
well-organized agents Of Enrico Mala-
tesla. All had contributed to augment
public unrest, to increase disinclina-
ton to work under present conditions
and to excite distrust toward the au-
thorities, which permitted the red flags
to be flown in the north and dispersed
mere parades in the south by rifle
shots.
Meanwhile two schools Of socialism
were gathering members everywhere:
the school of Christian socialism,
which advocated cooperation between
labor and capital, and individual own
ership with certain restrictions, and
the school of politico-industrial social
ism. which advocated everything from
government ownership to ownership
by the proletariat organized according
to the soviet scheme. The former,
which has the support Of the Popular
or Catholic party, through Its press
and the speeches of its members, has
undertaken to save the country from
the extreme program of the latter.
There are two leaders of the Popular
party in the Giolitti government, FIJI
ippo Media and Giuseppe Michel, hold
. ing respectively the portfolios of the
treasury and agriculture, but so far
the revolutionary demonstrations,
whether political or economic, have not
affected their departments. Italy be-
ing predominantly an agricultural
country, Signor Michel expects to have
something to say before the peasants,
who are now said to be organized on
the side of order as never before, be-
come too deeply Influenced or reduced
by the revolution that Is taking place
in the manufacturing centers-a revo-
luton which, 1t Is believed. Will die
away by feeding on itself unless other
than metallurgical industries come to
its aid, although Its lease of life may
be prolonged should the railway men
,nd cb;nnars attempt to aid IL by eS-