The Washington herald., 1921-07-03
VOTE OF MASSES
SAVES SOCIALIST
PARTY IN ITALY
Members Hold Organiza.
tiOn Together After the
Leaders Desert Posts.

ROME, July 2-The geenral cleo
tions tend themselves to many and
various considerations. Let us be-
gin with the most singular phe-
nomenon-the salvage Of socialism.
once upon a time, II was the shep-
herds OF the various parties who
kept their hocks together and led
them and saved them from the
wolves. This time II has been the
'hock that has led and saved the
shepherds. The masses have held
together the leading elite of the
Socialist party. which. seized with
the panic. was always disba nding.
Leaders Abandoned Masses.
Never. think. had a party been
known to allow itself to be dissrm-
ed and dispossessed with SO much
ease, and to offer its neck to the
knife. bleating like q lamb after
having attempted to roar like a
lion for more than a year. We have
been party to some really extraor-
dinary things in central Italy.
Mayors. boards. entire communal
councils resigned, throwing into the
street the powers the people had in
trusted to them on the mere ap-
rearance and intimidation OF twp
or three Fascist. No one took a
step or pronounced a word or risked
hair to defend the rights Of uni
versal suffrage. From one day to
another and after the work of many
years propaganda ceased through
out entire regions: its most active
and ancient organs have disap-
peared: the masses have been aban-
doned to themselves by their lead
ers. who have hidden themselves
or taken to fight.
Ideas Remained Unchanged.
Although their disposition had re-
mained unchanged. frequently
asked myself during the fortnight
preceding the elections whether. II
left to themselves by their leaders.
the masses would not become dis
banded during tae battles OF the
18th. 1t seemed improbable that
such an interminable crowd could
keep united and move in orderly
fashion by itself. without leaders
without speeches. without a cali to
arms or any kind OF stimulus Or
goad, in the towns as in the coun-
try, but especially In the country.
the masses went to the urns and
cast DOWN a deluvium Of votes On
the heads OF their absent and in
visible leaders
How is this singular surprise to
be explained?
The most profound and permL-
nent and universal cause of the sin
gular phenomenon Is still in tn.
war. Many thought that the mem
ory OF the war, which had dominat-
ed the elections OF 1919. had in
eighteen months evaporated from
the mind OF the multitude. What
an Illusion! The war will be the
dominating memory of social life
as long as the generation that made
II lives and commands.
stre.gtL OF Party.
Never as in this electoral struggle
has II been so clearly shovn-and
this Is the master key OF all the
present difficulties and dangers
that the Socialist party is at the
some time very strong and very
weak
1t is very strong because II has
an immense. faithful and growing
following. The forces that the
present order has at disposal -
government, administration, capital,
landed property, press. etc. still
have a considerable influence in the
towns where their empire Is main
tanned and even increased. But II
Is not so in the country: there So
cialism Is spreading where a RAM
to Il h,vN ~
popular or Catholic party. the tradi
ton and modernized remains Of the
OLD World as It was before the
French revolution.
MisunderstandipE In Party.
But II Is very weak because the
Socialist party does not know ex-
actly what use to make of this
immense force that 1t has at its
disposal There Is a kind of double
Misunderstanding in the party be-
tween the profound reasons of the
multitude's favor and the official
doctrine accepted and preached by
ITS scribes and doctors: between the
speeches OF the leaders and their
interests, their personal aspirations:
a misunderstanding that prevents
them from acting. not only in Italy.
After announcing an immense
revolution. which was to renew the
universe from top to bottom, IT was
satisfied. almost invariably on COM
ing to the making up OF accounts.
with some little innocent reforms.
cooperation, public Libraries. etc.
Furnishes Many Surprises.
Socialism is the last knot that has
been tied in the immense confusion
of doctrines and interests that be-
gan in Europe with the French rev.
olution. AS no one any longer
knows anything about he history
of the Nineteenth century, no one
knows or understands this party,
beginning with its leaders: every
body fears or hopes the impossible
from it; it is the cause of continual
surprises. both for its friends and
its enemies.
The very day after one of its
itself suddenly impotent, when 1t
appears to be on the point of COM
plete collapse, it rises again stronger
than before. 1t wins often when
success is least to be expected and
far away beyond its hopes, but ii
rever knows how to exploit its vic
tories. so that in the end they are
harmful to it rather than beneficial:
defeat. on the contrary, is benencial
to 1t, because the weaker 1t is the
more powerful ii is and the more
capable OF doing good.
Fuaroro+ion Pa{o