New-York tribune., 1922-10-29
EN HE spectacular tactics Of the
Fascist within the last few
n days In forcing the resigna-


are the Fascist and just what do they
want7
A little more than a year ago 1t
might have been easy to say who the
Fascist were and to clearly define the
meaning Of Fascismo. One might have
said that the Fascist were composed
largely Of arditi, or dcmobilized shock
troops, and Italians dissatisfied with
the undeniabiy increasing power of
the socialists, the anarchists-in fact
the proletarian and labor union ass
generally; and that iFascismc was a
tendency" -- nothing more against
internationalism, defense of nation
alism; Italian nationa3ism, to be sure
But to-day The Fascista organization
estimated TO have q membership OF
between 100000 and 100000, Is COM
posed. to a very considerable extent
Of proletarians, labor unions which
have Joined 1t en- masse-and Fascismc
has even a quite liberal labor program
Perhaps brief summary of the whole
Fascasta movement may aid the reader
in understanding this remarkable tran
sition.
When the late war came TO an end
the situation in Italy was something
like this: The strength Of the social.
ists, who had welded more political
power than any other socialist grour
with the exception Of the German
socialists, became extraordinary. Il
had increased during the war, and Il
the first postwar elections the social
LIST vote trebled and the control Of
mast Of the municipal governments o.
this north fell into their hands. Aside
from this purely political revolution
ary manifestation, ths Italian labor sin
dicati, the syndicalist unions, became
so powerful that they were able &
abuse their power. Carleton Beals
an American journalist of considerable
rcpute. in series OF articles he wrote
for "The Nation" while he was on sh
scene said Of them:
f'These sindicati we're not slow IL
discovering, using and abusing thei
power. They promptly voted them
selves into the Third International O
Moscow, and in 1919 and 1920, witt
industry and the public service clos
to anarchy. the labor unions resorte'
to the most unreasonable demonstra
tioas, calling strikss without NOTES
and deserting trains miles from thei'
destination. In September, 1920, the.
attempted to seize control of land ant
industry"
Fa=etstl Had Origin as
Conservators Of Irredenta
Now 1t is an error to say that th
Fasci, or bands, originally sprang int
being to combat che revolutionaries
Tho Fascist (this name, by the way
is derived from the "fasces," the bundl
Of rods borne by the lictors in the day
Of classic Rome) came into beini
rather to nationalize the annexed area
and to occupy Fiurne. They turned t,
Internal affairs when ths tactics Of th
labor groups described in the preced
ing paragraph seemed to them to b.
an attempt to make Italy socialis
state, and they felt that unless the,
actad with speed and force this at
tempt would easily be realized. /
waa then that they hurled themselve
on the communists and socialists an
began their campaign Of destruction
That campaign started directly afte
the seizures In September, 1920, b,
the metallurgical workers Of the fac
tories and the occupation Of the land
ed estates by che peasants.
I5ntil the elections Of July, 1921
definitely registered public disap
prevail Of violence. the Fascisti kept u
their destruction--and that was Ion
altar q revolution was possible. .
peace pact was signed by the direc
torates Of the Fascissa and soeialls
organizations ana violence diminished
but 1t continued sporadically. The
the Fascist turned Go politics and OF
ganized the National Fascist party
which toward the end Of 1921 wa
ioiaed by farm and some city work
ers, disillusioniz.d by the duficulties {
Soviet Russia to maintain a socialis
state against the enmity Of the Who'll
world, by the failure Of the factor
and land seizures. the vacilliation o
their own leadera and the split /
radical ranks.
FROM that tirte on the power Of th
Fascista became definite and the mean
Ing Of Fascismo changed. In Novem
bas, 1891. when the Fascist convene
In Rome and established q politics
organization. m analysis oS the men,
berahip showed thas svan then full
,, ona-hal4 the members % the Organize
tion were farm, factory and marin
workers.
The lssdership Of che party Ii :.
cEuited from Two pre-war groupss th
Nationaiists. represented by Enrie
corradini and Pisra Marisch, Of v,
nice; the syndseal.sss, represented b
Aaceste do Ambz4a Lssndrp Arpsna
and Cesare Rossi. It Is largely du
tc the old syndieaIsst elements that
labor program has been evolved by til
Fascist which has appealed to til
workers.