The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1920-09-24
S0vlETS TIGHTEN
Grip UPON ITALY
Communism Threatens to EnguIf
Country Unless Employers and
Workers Reach Terms.
MORE PLANTS ARE SEIZED
Extremists Would Seize All Industry.
Socialist Leaders Confer With La
Dor Chiefs, but Await Re-
turn Of Premier.


from flimsy, improvised dagpoles.
mark the progress Of industrial revolu-
ton in Italy. Unless the present quar-
rel is settled within the next few days
communism threatens to engulf the
whole country. The Soviet emblems
Increase in number and size as the
trains from France wind their way
through the fertile, mountain fanked
valley of Susa toward the industrial
eenters Of Turin and Milan.
On some of the red flags are a ham,
mer and sickle. Under this emblem
pf the workman and the peasant the
italian extremists announce their fn-
tention Of seizing the country's means
Of production unless their employers
grant their demands.
Judging from the fields and the work
going on in them, 1t would seem doubt
tul whether the present agitation was
stopping agricultural production. On
The other hand. little work appears to
oe done in the sovietized factories.
Black smoke is still pouring from the
.himneys Of some Of the smaller
works, but this is the exception rather
han the rule. All the largest works
connected with the metallurgical in
1ustry have been seized by the work
ers. But the workers are not con-
tinuing to produce to the extent gen.
orally reported.
A tattered blood-red banner is an
almost sure sign of idleness. The sup
oily Of raw materials already has run
short, and the time is coming within a
few days when the seviets must ac-
knowledge themselves beaten or over
turn the government.
Minister OF Labor Labriola has been
trying to bring capital and labor to-
gether. but SO far his efforts have been
without success. The government as
long as possible will maintain its pres
ent attitude of neutrality. 1t declares
that the dispute is primarily one be-
tween capital and labor, who must
fight out their battles alone.
The troubles here all began with a
demand by the workers for higher
wages. The employers refused the de-
mand and instituted lockout to pre-
vent strike among the men. An
gered by this, the metallurgical work.
ers took possession Of the factories
and began to run them on soviet plans
brought back from Russia by an Ital-
ian Socialist mission.
The Italian extremists threaten TO
call out the workers of all other in
iustries within a few days to support
the metallurgists.
1t is only on the outskirts of Turin
that there is evidence Of Italy's In
dustrial strike. Here the usual red
ernblems appear on the great E. l. A.
L., Lancia and s. q. A. T. factories
these great plants are guarded day
and night by the workmen. They
are defended with machine guns
whose operators find shelter behind
sandbags piled on the corners of the
roofs of the buildings.
The Italian Socialist deputies met
secretly here to discuss whether Italy's
IuOScul6ut
be converted into political Bolshevik
revolution. A great number OF Italian
Socialists strongly oppose political ac-
ton. They fear that the country is
not ripe for Communist regime, but
at the same time they cannot easily
calm the feelings of the workers
which they have been at such pains
to agitate.
A Socialist meeting was held in the
town hall at Milan. where the Italian
revolutionary movement now centers.
Just as Lenine and ThotZky inaugural
ed their regime by changing the seat
of government in Russia from Petro-
grad to Moscow, SO the Italian extrem-
lists boast that Milan is becoming more
important than Rome, and should the
Reds take over supreme power in Italy
there is no doubt that they would seek
to govern the country from Milan.