Evening star., 1924-06-22
The Story the Week Has Told

broader hint on the 18th, when NJ.
De Selves of the right was elected
president Of the Senate.
The Ruhr industrialists have agreed
to continue until June so operation
of the so-called "micum" agreements
with the French government.
X X X
Italy.-Something over week
ago an Italian Socialist deputy of
some note. named Matteotti. disap
peared. Done to death by Fascist"
whispered his friends, then spoke it
out loud, finally shouted it and the
opposition press took up the charge
in chorus. And now specific ac-
cusations were made, pointing to
certain Fascist as instigators, ac-
completes or perpetrators of the
deed, including two members of the
government, the treasurer of the
Fascist organization. the editor of
the chief Fascist newspaper. The
members of government resigned and
their designations were accepted
MuSSolini bade the police get busy.
The chief of Roman police, not re-
spending with sufficient vigor, was
replaced. A dozen suspects were
rounded up, some en- route to foreign
parts, and clapped in quod. The police
assert that the villains of the piece
are all laid by the heels, but though
rumorS are definite little authentic
evidence has been made public There
is. however. little doubt that Mattet
otti was kidnapped at the instance of
pominent Fascist, and scarce less
doubt that he was murdered. A
plausible rumor has it that he was
possessed of documentary or other
nf irr a ri
ties by certain Fascist and intended
to make disclosure thereof to the
Italian chamber. At any rate, he was
an outSpoken and uncompromiSing 6
enemy of Fascismo. A credible hy-
pothesis ascribes the fate (murder
Matteotti to an inner murder gang
of Fascist, and the hypothesis broad
ems to ascribe to this small gang
most of the outstanding Fascist
enormities of the past two years.
Within the past year the Fascist
have tended to divide into two sec
tions. calling themselves respective
ly "Legalists'' and "Savages." Ac-
cording to the above hypothesis the
murder gang are the flower, the altar.
so to speak, of the "savages." In gen.
eral the "savages" are of the rough
house" type, but not murderers. No
doubt hereafter they will prefer to
De known as leSdllStS- Inc HlurueT
gang, if such there is, is readily un-
derstood from the history of revolu-
tion-part men of criminal tempera-
ment, part half-crazy fanatics. Mus
solini, of course. is a '1egalist." He
has long labored to repreSS the tur-
bulent spirits of his party and has
enforced drastic disciplinary meas
ures to that end. But the task was
difficult and slow. He could not
and would not repudiate as body
the "savages," who had done yeomen
service when strong-arm methods
were thought necessary to save the
state. The facile remark is being
passed that extra-legal methods al
ways bring their own condign pun
ishment Witness the Matteotti Incl
dent That incident may or may not
ruin Fascismo. Mussolini may or may
not safely ride the whirlwfnd; he
seems to be holding his seat we'll
Mr.. MacDonald's action in turning
over the Jubaland tract to Italy fully
restored British popularity in Italy,
which had suffered sad impairm ent.
But the fats in the fire again On
June Is Mr.. Macdonald and other
British labor leaders attended meet
ing of the British Labor party at
which a resolution vas passed ex-
pressing profound detestation" of
the KIDNAPPING of Matteotti and ex-
tending warm sympathy and hearty
support to the Socialist party of Italy
in its struggle against the forces that
are trampling upon the fundamental
principles Of liberty and democracy.
Unless il -cal- be shown that MI