Evening star., 1925-08-10
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL y. COLLINS.

Is 1t Italian propaganda looking to
black-shirted dictatorship which will
take over the White House and domi-
nate all departments, together with
Congress? What has Fascismo to do
with America? Is that what 1t means
when the news comes that Bastianini,
member of the Italian House of Depu-
ties and secretary for foreign coun.
tries of the Fascist organization. is
coming to study the activity of the
Fascist organizations in the United
States?" That direful news follows
close on the heels of the defiant
speech of Senator Cippico of Italy at
the political conference in session at
Williamstown, Mass, warning the
world, especially the United States.
of the consequences of refusing ad-
mission to an unlimited surplus of
Italian emigrants who will not accept
citizenship obligations, but will mere
ly work for wealth while retaining
allegiance to Italy! Cippico, last week;
Bastianini this week; organized Fas-
cisti next. And Gen. Pershing 1000
miles away,
Fascist organizations in our very
midst? We knew we had the Chinese
'tongs," but they only fight each
other, without menacing the United
States Government. We have the
Reds, who enthuse over Sovietism and
look for "the day" when this Govern
ment and all other governments will
be wiped out, to make room for the
proletariat and Russia. We have re-
Gently seen on Pennsylvania avenue,
marching by the empty White House,
a million or less white-shirted
Il X. ks, but they did not hurt the
White House guards. II now we are
to be invaded by organized Fascist.
all dressed up in black shirts, Will
they have any place to go in Amer
lea? VIII they paint the White
House the same color as their shirts
en- camoufiage? 1t was the same tint
as the nightshirts of the marchers
last Saturday. Is the White House
to be a canelopard and change its
colors week by week? Why this in
vasion of Fascist?
A visit of inquiry to the Italian en-
bassy resulted in very enlightenins
interview with it's secretary. Almost
his first statement was that Senator
Cippico was greatly distressed because
certain reporters. writing from VIII
Jamestown, had printed reports OF
things he never had said. The Sena-
tor denies that Italy has ever had any
intention to force nations to receive
unwelcome immigrants. Italy has
great land areas in Tripolitania, just
across the Mediterranean, in Africa,
three times as great as Texas, with
only s, 900 native inhabitants. 1t Is not
imperialistic for Italy to colonize
Tripolitania. already under her SOW
ereignty. That, explains the diplo-
matte secretary Of the embassy. is
what Senator Cippico really intended
to say. Besides, the Italians in Amer
lea are mostly American citizens and
are loyal Americans. There is no
such thing as dual citizenship
n
What will Fascist do to American
institutions when they perfect their
Bastianinian organizations here? The
secretary OF the embassy pleasantly
explained that the Fascist clubs in
America are .on the same status as
that of an American Republican or
Democratic club in Rome or Paris
would be- They have no reference
whatever to American institutions.
No "Italian-American"- natural
ized American Of Italian blood-is
eligible to be member. There are