Evening star., 1920-03-21
SPIRIT OF REVOLT
THREATENS ITALY
alternative of Wise Reform
1 Upheld by Conservative
Z; Socialist Leader.
BY EDGAR ANSEL MOWRER.
Special CabIegram to The Star and
Chicago Daily News. Copyright. 1921.

NpcVh0t 10 Inc SUR anu
Chicago Daily News. Copyright. 1920.
ROME. March 20.-In the opinion
of Fillippi Turati. leader of the con-
Eervative, -bolshevistic wing of
The Italian socialist party. Italy must
choose one or the other. of two widely
different courses before the country
can return to period of productive
ness. One of these courses is the in
PRODUCTION of wise reforms, giving
labor share in farm lands and in
Hustry and taxing tie rich to pay for
the war. The alternative. according
10 Turati. is violence. leading pos
eibly to revolution and then to a ter
T1bie reaction. with a government by
some army general. That might pos
sibly lead to a restoration of the
temporal power of the Pope. Turati
expressed these views to me when /
asked him to explain the recent
epidemic of strikes, riots and up
Tisings-
Influenced by Russia.
"One reason he said. lis the back
ward production. but chiefly il is the
spirit of revolt with which the war
and the legend of the Russian revo-
luton have filled the hot-headed
among the workers Thus the upris-
1nss at Sestri Penente. near Genoa.
where the workers attempted to take
over the shops, and the disturbances
at the cotton mills near Turin. which
are now being run by the workers.
may be attributed TO such causes.
These incidents may lead to recogni-
ton of the principle of joint control
by the workers and owners. Inevi-
tably the peasants and laborers are
demanding more and more. This helps
to account for the strikes and the in
Nasion of the large farm properties in
Sicily and Eenetia.
The trouble is that these move
mentS are being used for political
purposes by irresponsible dreamers.
who believe that the Ia aborers are now
mature for complete control, and do
not realize that the overthrow of
capitalism today would mean a void.
Italian workers have small political
and economic experience and would
not be able to replace one system by
another"
Condition of Workers.
"Are not the conditions of workers
everywhere greatly improved?'
asked.
Generally they are" was the reply.
-but not everywhere. While in Ro
magma the farm laborers enjoy great
prosperity. in Lombardy. which is my
country. the proprietors rather than
pay what they consider excessive de-
mandS prefer 10 abandon raising crops
and take up cattle grazing or adopt
methods requiring little labor, and
thus production is diminished. The
situation is aggravated by the enmity
fomented between the classes. 1t is
necessary to say that our conditions
in Lombardy are frightful. and it is
no consolation to know that they are
equally bad elsewhere"
I'm your program for SocialiStic ac-
ton you suggest a number of reforms
intended to aid the country in settling
down. but you seem skeptical as to the
possibility of carrying them through"
sig. Turau grew stern.
Country Must Choose.
Understand me-" he said "The
country seeks to reach a new adjust
nIent but it can choose between the
way of violence. which will almost
certainly call down a reaction with
bloodshed and turmoil, or it can take
the way of Intelligence. establish
equitable conditions. force the rich and
the prof1teers to pay the cost of the
war and undertake vast program
of Legislative reform. / favor the
latter way, but it needs a strong hand.
Now. in Italy we do not have
strong government Premier Nitti
came into power with the intention
OF pacifying the country, yet has not
been able to settle the Fiume affair
which has harmed us immeasurably
He perhaps intended to tax the rich.
yet ne has not dared to do it.. The
chamber of deputies, skepticai and
haccid. seems unable to accomplish
anything constructive.
Do Not Want to Work.
Three million men were demobilized
after being trained in violence and idle
ness They do not want to work and
are not able to think calmly. The coun-
Try. especially in the south. is backward.
IT could produce twice as much as it
does Wise provisions could almost
double the production within five or ten
years Meanwhile the production is in
sufficient, especially because no one
wants to be frugal The government.
therefore,, is providing for temporary
emigration on a large scale, sending
bodies of laborers TO France and Bel
GUM to aid in the work of reconstruc-
tlon, and also to South America. This
VIII act as a safety valve and should
ease conditions somewhat. but it is only
temporary. The entire system should
be reformed"
DO you suggest immediate revision
or gradual transformation?
Transformation and revision would
complement each other Another Paris
conference would be ridiculous and in
folerable"