Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-05-16
General Elections
(Continued from PAGE Ons)

General Elections
CONTINUED from Page ons)
ty 8; at Florence. the Socialists 8.
Constitutionalists 3, Catholics 3.
The Socialist vote. which was no.
ticeably decreased almost everywhere,
was even smaller where Communist
candidates were on the ticket.
The Fascist or Extreme National
lists, armed with clubs and other
weapons. maintained order in the most
turbulent districts.
The complete results Of the election
will not be known until the end OF
the week, but official reports from the
provinces based on calculations made
by the different parties indicate the
probabilities. although the constitu-
tional voters were less numerous than
had been expected, it seems probable
that they will have sufficient votes
to form large majority, especially in
Rome, Naples, Palermo and in south
! ern Italy. They are also expected to
, be victorious in Genoa.
| In Bologna. where the struggle was
/ bitter one, the Socialists returned
IS candidates. the Republicans 2,
, Catholics 8, and Constitutionalists l.
The excitement in the provinces was
| intense, especially in Piedmont, Lom-
hardy, Emilia and Tuscany, where
there were frequent conflicts between
| fascist and Communists.
.-----------
Four main political parties - the
Democratic Liberals led by Premier
Giolitti, the Popular or pro- Catholics,
| the Socialists and the new National
! ists the latter backed by the Fascis-
| teach of them divided into more or
| less important factions, engaged yes
! terday in one of the gravest general
| elections held in Italy in nearly rs
| years.
The principal issue was to deter
mine to what extent radicalism
would be upheld or opposed by the
voters. Incidentally, it determines
the actual strength of the Socialist
| party, which, at the last elections in
November 1919, returned no less than
1856 members to the Chamber of Dep
uties. 1t has been charged that this
was more than their constituency
justified.
Dissolution of the Italian parlia-
ment, ordered by the King on April
7, followed more than seven months
of public disorders due to strikes
fires and bomb throwings and the
seizure and operation of factories by
workmen in various parts of the
country, especially in Lombardy.
! These disturbances were followed
by the formation of more than 100
600 Fascist, or ti-Bolshevik Ma
! tionalists, veterans and former
Fiume DICTIONARIES who. since early
in the present year have engaged in
war of reprisal and repression
against the revolutionaries.
On one punitive expedition" the
Fascist seized the Socialist mayor OF
San Sepolcro, cut off his beard and
marched him through the streets
They burned many radical Com
munist labor headquarters and the
Communists, in turn, hoisted the rec
flag over numerous town halls. Many
persons were killed and wounded in
battles in the streets.
Giolitti, now rs years old, who had
been PRIMER and minister of the in
terror in 1913, again took the held OF
state on June IL, 1920. His first effort
was directed to calming the mind OF
labor.
Italy was on the verge of an indus
trial unheaval. Communists in many
places throughout the country seized
railroads, docks, spinning mills, tan
neries, chemical works, banks and
other establishments and tried to op-
eratethem. Theyh ad frequent clash
es with the troops Peasants looted
the palaces of the wealthy and ocnfis-
Gated certain estates of the King be-
fore the troops succeeded in dispers-
ing them.
| Giolitti, who at first maintained a
hands-o off policy and was quoted as
having said that he was opposed to
violence against the proletariat," call
ell a parley of the employers and
workers at Turin and there, as medi-
ator, he brought about a truce by
promising to introduce into the
Chamber of Deputies a bill providing
that the workers should share in the
technical and financial management
of the factories.
He proposed a program which in
cluded "the division of large estates
into small farms by legal process and
the participation of workmen in the
management of industrial plants"
Despite Giolitti's efforts to bring
about peace, sporadic industrial out
breaks continued and, in number OF
instances. sabotage was alleged to
have been practised through the in
f1uence of Communist agents.
Many employers, resenting Giolitti's
new policy, although not involved in
the strikes, locked out their work
ers. On two occasions the Premier
sought and received votes Of conf
dence in the Chamber of Deputies.
There was also considerable oppo.
sition to Giolitti's plan to reduce the
Italian budget deficit which was part
OF a policy of rigid governmental
economy heb ad proposed. The So.
cialists also questioned the attitude
he had taken in the London discus
sions of the German reparations