The Washington times., 1925-02-07
lNUGSOLNL,
COOLIDGE
L|kENE.D
! italian Ambassador, Sailing
for Home, Declines to
Discuss Debts
Bv WILLIAM HARD.

NEW 4ORh, FeD. fs-T FlHCe
Caetani, Italian Ambassador, sail
ing from here today for Europe,
expressed himself to this writer as
convinced that both the general eco
nomic condition Of Italy and its
governmental treasury condition
were steadily and rapidly improv-
ing and that while q discussion OF
the italian debt to the United
States would be for him both I'M
diplomatic and premature, there
nevertheless could be no doubt that
under Mussolini's guidance the
business strength of Italy was pe-
ing greatly fortified and increased.
Taxed More Than Income.
at cannot be said" remarked
Prince Caetani. that we Italians
are not paying taxes. My own
taxes for the last current year will
amount to one hundred and twenty
per cent OF my income. That IS,
am obliged to sell part of my CAPT.
tai in order to pay my taxes.
cay in taxes more than my current
income. We are building up, we
hope. q strong government in Italy
and we are perfectly willing to,
undertake heavy burdens in order
to do IT.
Have you any news about the
present disposition of the Italian
people toward Mussolini? the
prince was asked. He replied:
"sI have. AdVices reaching me are
~. 1aaf oil nf
Italy except certain purely political /
elements is perfectly quiet and
perfectly satisfied with the Mus
aolini regime. Mussolini was
obliged to check and stop the
articles printed in certain news
papers. In America any such thing
would make q great stir. In Italy
Ii does not. The reason is one
which few Americans realize.
Few Papers Independent.
since the prince paused, he was
asked what the reason might be.
He said:
I'm all of Italy there are not
more than three actually self-sup-
porting newspapers. Italians 90
not read advertising. Your Ameri-
can newspapers are full OF al.
vertising, and this gives them an
income which makes them in
6enendent. italian newspapers have
relatively almost no advertising, and
this brings it ABOUT that they have
to be subsidized.
Virtually all Italian newspapers,
outside Of the three which are SELF
supporting, are political propagan.
dist sheets supported by politicai
groups for political purposes. They
proceeded TO print articles which
were untrue and whTh were calcu-
lated to produce turmoil and panic
in Italy, and Mussolini suppressed
those articles, and the mass or
Italians are not outraged, because
they understand Italian news
papers.
Have you anything to say"
the Prince was asked, about any
positive results from Mussolini's
management Of Ita1y?" He replied:
Likened to Coolidge
''Mussolini resembles your PreSi-
dent Coolidge in this: That one Of
his chief aims is to shrink govern
mental expenditures. He has dis
charged fifty thousand superfluous
employees from the governmental
railroad sysytem, and he has dis
superfluous employees from other
Italian governmental services. He
thus illustrates the cardinal prin-
cipal Of Fascismo.
What Is that?"
That there shall be in Italy
q compliance both by government
and by private business with the
fundamental laws of economies.
Fascismo is not anti-labor. It is
often 80 represented but it in fact
. 10 absolutely not anti-labor at all.
On the contrary, Mussolini is a
supporter and promoter of the or
ganization of labor. He believes,
however. that these matters should
be conducted in the realm Of private
life, 50 Tar as is possible, and that
the government should not be
called in to repeal the fundamental
laws OF economics through govern
mental action. In that respect
again there is a resemblance Of
President.
I'VE, in Italy, by our own meth
DDS, which are different from yours,
are determined to check govern.
mentalism and to restore the opera
ton of the laws OF business and or
private initiative throughout the
country. That is the economic side
or Fascismo; and that is all there
IL of that side Of It. 1t is posi-
lively pro-labor, but it is absolute.
ly against the governmentalizing
of the whole business life of the
people"
DOdges Debt Query.
When will you pay the debt?"
ct cannot discuss that point with
you. I would rather draw your
attention to the fact tina We are
struggling with some success at
this moment to build up in Italy
a situation in which our government
has become solvent and in which
9ur private business life will have
the capital 1t needs. When that
task IL accomplished, and we be-
lieve that IT is firmly on it's way