, 1922-11-09

International

working Glasses on the first da. was sporadic, dis
organized and lacking in leadership.
Without losing time the Fascist launched al
offensive with three specific detectives. The first
was to keep the railroads and other Instruments
OF public service In operation. by taking up with
elements of their own the work abandoned by
strikers; the second was to crush the proletariat
press. the socialist municipal administration
Wherever they existed. the cooperative unions
and other working-class organizations from
which the strike might derive moral or material
energy the third was to terrify the strikers into
submission by the application of armed force and
execution of drastic reprisals against any attempt
TO revolt.
The centers of strike activity were Genoa. MI
Ian, Parma. Livorno. Ancona and Ravenna.
Forty-eight hours after the strike was called
Turatl realized he was licked. To save as much
as he could from the ruins. Turatl rushed to
Facta and offered to call the strike off If Facta
would promise that the government would take
the strikers back.
Facta gave the socialists the required assur-
ance. On the following ay-Augus 3-the Labor
federation called upon the strikers to return to
their posts. announcing that the proletarlat had
achieved It's object.
But If the socialists were through the Fascist
were not. They had a definite program to com
plete, and they proceeded TO complete II. In Mi
Ian they drove the socialist administration out
Of power and took possession OF the Palazzo Ma
rino. on the following day they attacked the
Avanti. the leading socialist newspaper in Italy,
"a AH' AAAOI ~ iAkhA tIA " NV " At DlNiAs
In Genoa they suppressed the publication OF the
Lavoro and marched In force upon the Palace OF
San Giorgio. where the socialist consortium OF
the port was located. The Fascist demanded
the surrender of the consortium. and when sur
render was refused they seized 1t by force.
In Ravenna they seized and suppressed the
elaborate cooperative organization which has
served as a model Of socialist cooperative devei.
opment for students from all parts of the world.
In Ancona they destroyed the printing plant Of
the socialist organ La Difesa and set fire to the
headquarters of all the principal labor organiza-
lions. including the Federation Of Railway Work.
ers, the Society of Sovlets and the Chamber OF
Labor. They marched Into Parma 5000 strong
and took possession OF the city. They destroyed
the printing plant Of the Piccolo and disrupted the
cooperative unions.
Considering the violent nature OF the reDrisals
that occurred against the working classes. there
was surprisingly little blood shed during the
course of the strike.
On August .. when It was al over. the govern
ment came to life and conh.,ed to military control
the cities of Genoa. Milan. Ancona. Parma and
Livorno.
In the special terms by which the Fascist and
the socialists subsequently defined victory" the
claims OF both were justified by the facts.
Whether the Victory OF either faction meant VIC
tory for the Italian people and for the nation as
n whole was a question which seemed to concern
neither of the opposing forces. When. indeed.
Facta, In his second Inaugural. declared thnt
Italy could be ruined by such a victory Lupl.
the Fascist leader In the chamber. responded
with n challenge which clearly Indicated thar II
civil war was not yet an actual fact In Italy
1t could any day become one.