, 1922-11-09
REBA1E w ZE ChHr0EP oFlEoUzzE1
Tno<o By Underwood %u1aernoo9

Not to compromise Itself In either direction, the
hrst Facta government there did nothing but utter
feeble admonitions against subversions of law
and make vague, incoherent threats of ~disciplin-
Ing offenders whoever they might be. But by no
such safe middle course, however. could the gov
eminent solve the problem of paciication."
The government announced late in July a deficit
in the national budget of six billion lire. 1t was
desperately trying to draw the attention of the
chamber to a financial program that was to be
based largely on faith, hope and charity when a
band of irresponsible youngsters, wearing black
shirts and calling themselves Fascist. amused
themselves in Cremona one afternoon by citing
hre TO the homes of two socialist deputies.
An uproar ensued In the chamber. led by social
lists and supported by the democratic factions in
the center. The burning of the abodes of the two
socialist deputies was "A veritable outrage. What
was the government going to do about II? The
government decided the time had come to act. 1t
therefore announced that it would investigate the
Cremona scandal and punish the culprits as soon
as they could be apprehended. Then the popular
party. from the center of the chamber. uneXpect-
eddy and without warning, out of within purely
political in motive and totally unrelated to the
issue of the hour, swept to the support of the
socialists on an order OF the day and left the
Facta ministry without a majority in the ch imber.
The ministry collapsed automatically.
For about nine days Italy had to get along with.
out n ministry. II got along surprisingly well.
The king called upon Orlando to form a new cnbl.
net. He failed.
De Nava and Bonoml and Media In succession
endeavored to procure a more or less similar So
luton, but they In turn had no better success
than Orlando.
The bankruptcy of Italian craftsmanship us.
sumed the character of n national scandal. The
king recalled Orlando and again he failed.
The king finally called into consultation. for an
exchange OF Views, the socialist leader. Turatl.
The conference of July 20 was acclaimed by the
Italian press as historic" II lasted forty min.
utes. Turatl, however, merely utilized his inter.
view with the king rs nm exceptionally dramatic
moment In which to hurl the socialist ultimatum.
Either immediate steps should be taken to form
a government that would crush Fnscismo or the
socialists would call the general strike. The king
declined TO bulge.
on the following day August /. the Labor ALI
ance at Genoa issued the call to a general strike.
In the face OF this national danger. the parlinmen.
tary factions were frightened into consolidation;
the popular party deserted the socialists and
Facta was recalled to power. Before the day was
over Fncta had formed n second ministry, with n
few changes In personnel, hut with no change
whatever In political complexion. II was the
same government that had been overthrow with
the same "punfarella" to the right. Turnti had
played his trump card and had lost.
The scene OF conflict now passed from parlln.
ment 10 the country. Fascismo received the order
To march. The marvellous potency of an armed
bourgeoisie revealed itself at once. Fascist.
armed, organized and led, encnmped in the squares
and principal streets Of the big cities.
For such nm organized demonstration OF hos
tility the Italian proletariat was utterly unprs-
pared. The call TO strike Itself had taken the
proletarlnt by surprise. The response Of the