New-York tribune., 1921-02-28
New Elections
Seen as Only
Hope for Ital,
Ciolitti Government Is I'm
able to Successfully Cope
With the Present Econom-
ic and Political Problems
People Are i'm Turmoil
Socialist and Communist
Factions Are Fighting;
Industry Near Paralysis
speotaE Cable to The Trtbune

Copyright, 1891, New York Tribune Inc.
ROME, Feb. 27.-The reconstruction
period finds italy facing difficulties on
all sides that make the task of the
government herculean The political
situation is becoming so intricate and
the economic conditions SO complex
that national parliamentary elections
are now generally discussed as holding
out the only hope of cure for many
evils. For some time the inability of
the G1olltti government to cope with
the difficulties that have beset it has
been apparent.
claiists and the Communists have both
split into factions and are fighting
among themselves. The peasantry.
winch is made up largely of Catholics,
mas become divided into extremists,
who occupy land and steal cattle, be-
cause their theories of government are
bolshevih, and the extremists, who
would like to do the same under cover
of law.
The Liberal party has split into the
Active Natlonalists, the Fascist. or
Extreme Natlonalists, and group of
nondescrlpt Liberals, who are sup
posed to play leading part in the
country,,s government, but who don't
do much because or the disruption Of
the majority parties.
Fascist influential
The Fascist have become an i'm
portant influence in the country. hav-
ing taken on themselves a sort of DO
lice duty where the government has
not been able to punish criminals and
maintain OpIor TIL,
terested themselves particularly in
Furnishing and making immediate re- e.
tallatIon tor proletarian eXcesses.
whether these are committed by peas
ants or Communists. Whenever the
Reds mistreat any bourgeois land
owner the Fascist are on the ground
within few hours in motor cars, fully
armed, and they proceed to burn and
destroy the Communist meeting halls
and whatever other property the Reds
nave. Promiscuous shooting in these
AFFAIRS is usual. In fact, this sort of
action by the Fascist has become such
common occurrence in the country
mat 1T no longer attracts attention.
In government circles there is the
constant agitation of civil servants
numbering 100000 to obtain big@er
salaries. The army officer, for instance
a colonel, earns less than locomotive
engineer Because of this constant
growing among government EMPLOYEES
IN all the ranks and all branches Of
the service, q movement has been set
atoot to abolish the evil by reducing
the number of employees to the bone,
But this doesn't make headway as it
is realized that such move would in
crease unemployment and make con-
ditions worse rather than better. The
governments paw roll is now 40 big
that it absorbs the new emissions Of
paper money as fast as the nlints can
turn them out
Semi-Paralysis in Industry
In industry state of semi-paralysis
continues to exist, growing out of the
o-lhdustrial revolution in this
country a year ago. The factories are
unwilling to exert themselves because
the government holds to it's engage
ment asserting to the inclusion of
workingmen in the directorates of
the factories. AS the owners are com
pletely out of sympathy with this
pledge that the government gave the
workers, they refuse to produce until
become more favorable
The workmen. for their part, first bless
and then curse the soviet movement
that invaded lta ly, as wages keep on
Increasing and the factories keep on
closing their doors one BY one.
On all sides is heard the suggestion
thaC new parliamentary election and
a new ministry would cure all these
evils
The national budget, although re-
duced now far below the war figure. is
still giving rise to considerable CON
Germ. Taxes and means of meeting the
expected budget deficit are being dis
cnssed in Parliament, although formal
action Is not to be taken until after
the Easter recess.
Among the measures being proposed