The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1922-11-09

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szmm@ HE recent abortive attempt at a
49, general strike in Italy has resulted
in what now appears to be colos
Va sal disaster for the Italian social
49, list government, writes Louis d.
+: E. !. !: !. !. !: !:
gCSr-YV--z-.01 Kornned from Rome TO the New
Hi E\klO i 1 York Times PrOletaTlat organza
- liticaI maneuver which the social
fist deputies in the chamber endeayored, without
success, to effect are now suffering for their In
discretion in the dismissal and suspension from
employment Of thousands Of their members.
Distrustful of the leadership which provoked
this calamity, they are withdrawing from the ltal'
Ian Labor alliance and are passing into new syn
dcast combinations which the socialist party for
the purpose Of future proletariat action VIII ma
difficult to control The situation points clearly
TO a dissolution Of the Italian socialist structure
and movement toward new foundations
Even more important than the actual fact of
the socialist rout Is the manner in which IT. was
brought about resort TO armed force by the
bourgeosie produced the debacle; not the armed
force of the government, but the force which the
bourgeosie created of Itself and for itself In the
Fascist In short, EARNED bourgeoise," phe-
uomenon novel to modern democracy Is Itay's
ence Of class war; 1t is a method Of action which
cannot fail to stop strikes and crush any move
Of the prOletariat toward bolsheyism.
An armed bourgeoisie takes MARKHAM socialism
at its word, accepts class war n a reality and
at every opportune moment actually takes the
offensive II PUSHES in where the hesitant angels
Of democracy fear to tread, and by swift organ
Ted strokes drives the enemy to coyer--or into
the hospitals-and thus restores order, discipline
and industry.
An armed bourgeoisle presupposes, of course,
complete neutrality and uonlnterference on the
part Of the government that is to say, unlimited
freedom of action during the period Of the crisis
In fact, II temporarily suppants government. In
Italy the government conveniently took vaca-
tlon until the classes In opposition had settled
their dispute.
To- dsinterested observers the Italian expert
ment ~ August ! to August 8 could not fail to
produce the conviction that, given an army Of its
own, independent OF government authority, such
as the Italian middle ana upper classes have de-
veloped In the Fascist the bourgeoise of any
country need never fear the success of general
strikes or Bolshcyist agitatons BY reason of
superior Intelligence, superior leadership, superior
freedom of action and resources an armed bour-
geOisie can always win
Consider. to begin WITH the Tascstist move
vneut: A Fascistlst leade" thus defined 1t to the
writer; "The fnsclstst movement Is the awaken
ting Of Italy to fun sense Of Its own greatness
and destiny as a nation. Its appeal is essentially
and always to the patriotism Of the Italian people
as an Italian people and 1t proposes at any cost,
even at the cost Of democratic conventions, to
crush any tendency that may threaten 10 drag the
italian people into the morass OF socialism, Dol.
sheylsm and internationallsm'
Except for the fact that It specifically MINES
socialism In It's Indictment, this program Is as old
as Italy itself. One naturally maryels that so old
an idea could have aroused 50 great a reclame in
d people so recently emerged from the sophlstl-
eating flames Of n European war.
The answer ls to be found In the new gcnera-
ton Of Italian youth; the youth that had just
missed the war and yet had shifted the fumes;
the youth that found itself upon The declaration
OF peace hunting for organizing, ami.
mating IDEAL such as wars or revolutions produce;
such us youth always hugcrs for something for
which to shout fight uud die, If necessary
But the cause OF proetarat revolution in Italy
had not then and has not yet developed spokes.
man sufficiently eloquent and dramatic to CAPTURE
the imagination Of the Italian youth Upon It's
vision at Tlume four years ago there did burst
a skyrocbet OF great brancy, but II pointed
In another direction Gabrielle DAnuun2io! Dan.
nJrizo had no new ideal 10 offer He had an old
ldeal-Viva llal--whch he made seem new
through the force Of bis own Imagination fervor
and magnetism And the youth OF Italy respond
cd. This fresh outburst Of patriotism found an
objective In bolsheysm and from the contact OF
the two hostile forces bourgeois natlonnsm and
proetarat internahonalism, Fasclsmo was born
Fascismo IN every stage Of It's development natl.
rally encountered the bitter opposition Of the
socialists This opposition reached n critical
stage in July last when the liberal democratic ele-
ments Joined forces with the socialists In demand.
lng suppressye measures against Fnscismo, on the
ground that Fasclsmo, however patriotic In It's IN
tentions had adopted program Of action openly
defiant Of law productive of Internal disorder
and IN direct contradiction 70 all the principles
and ideals Of democratic government.