Hickory daily record., 1922-11-02
TRIUMPH OF THE FASCISTI.

Springfield Republican.
Civil war is for the time being
avertcd in Italy, and this is perhaps
the best defense that can be made
Of the abjcct surrender Of the gov
ernment to the Fascist. Their
triumph was completed yesterday
when their leader, D,. Bcaito Mus
;olini, entered Rome. which was sur
rounded by 10000 of his armed
torces, and proceeded to the Quirinal
20 accept the invitation of King Vic
cor Emmanuel to form ministry in
place of that Of Premier Facta,
whose resignation was due to the re-
o't Of the Fascist and the impossi-
oility Of controlling it. When the
hing Saturday oNcrrulcd the deci-
lion OF the cabinet to declare mar
ial law, it became hopeless for the
government to carry OH. The capt.
!lation to the rebels may, through
he action Of the king, comply with
constitutional forms, but it. is none
ne less surrender to direct actionl
'Italy's revolution is S differentl
n many respects from any of the
theirs that have occurred in Europe
'lnce 1918. but the Fascist move
hent is nevertheless a revolution
ny movement, and would unhesitat-
nEly. be SO interpreted if undertaken
" the Socialists. What makes the
ltuatlon confusing is the respectable |
ty OF the Fascist, who take their
!ame from the rods which were the !
:oman symbol Of governmental au-
'norlty, and who profess not merely
intense patriotism but loyalty to the |
ing.
10 find parallel we have to turn
'ack to the Carson rebellion in Ulster
2 1914, when Ireland and Great |
6r1taln were threatened with civil
'ar through the warlike preparations
I the Unlonlsts, who even while re-
s1stlng the law duly enacted by
armament professed to be acuated by
eep. loyalty to the king and to the |
mplre. Their patriotism, which thev
ater demonstrated in the war, and the |
ympathy entertained for their point |
! view by the upper classes in Eng
ana, made it very difficult for the
!iIlsh government to deal fairly |
1th their revolt. After the armisticc
eaiy, like other European countries.
ui1cred much from unrest due to
!emoDlllzatlon, poverty, lmemploy-1
lent, and the influence of the Rus
M"A 1eVoiuClon. Ihe government. II
ynlch even before the. war had been
xtremely mild in dealing with strikes
nd resulting disorders, hcsitated to
.Iapplc with those new OWLS, anll
aather welcomed the appearance onl
he scene of the Fascist as volun-
eer vigilance committee. N
The natural result, facilitated bv
ne abJect weakness of the govern
aent against the d'Annunzio rebels
t. tlune. who were essentially Fas.
istlc, was the growth of powerful
8ldespread, and compact auasimii1farv
organization, well armed and well |
11lcered. and SO strongly supported
~ the open or secret sympathy Of
espectable people that the govern
nent dared not order it to disband.
ma did not take very serious meas, i
res against it's activities, even when I
The state. ec ~
what puzzles many is why the
,,ascisti. if they are as strong ms ms
ney claim, should not be strong en-. /
ugh to get control of the government
~ constitutional methods and then
nake lawful use of it's machinery for
sne maintenance Of order and thei
epression of Socialists. Presumahlv 4
ne answer is that their strenOth =
ue less to numbers than to orpan;zas
Ion. energy and lack ,of scrnple n
'egard to method