Evening star., 1925-09-07
FAR|NACC| SECOND
ONLY TO MUSSOLIN|
Secretary of Fascist Party
Has More Power Than
Any Other in Italy.
BIT HIRAM KELLY MODERwELL
Correspondence of The Star and the Chicago
Daily News.

Correspondence of The Star and the Chicago
Daily News.
ROME, August 15.--Until recently
there was IN Italy Mussolini-anu
nobody else. Now there is another.
He is Roberto Farinacci, secretary OF
the Fascist party.
Though he is not in any sense
rival OF the duce, his powers. dele
gated to him by Mussolini, are great
er than any other subordinate has
held since Fascism came into being.
Within the party Farinacci is known
as the padreterno, or lord almighty,
and since the party directs the gov
ernment-supject only to Mussolini's
veto-Farinacci is easily the second
man in Italy in real power
Postwar Europe has thrown up nc
more curious personality in polltlcai
life than this former telegraph oper-
ator, whose educational advantages
have been most meager. Few politi
cal leaders are SO fanatically idolized
by their followers. And, outside of
Russia. PROBABLY no other responsible
ruler-for really he is that-permits
himself such a wealth of violent,
abusive language against his oppo-
nents.
Treated Like Royalty.
Not long ago F'arinacci made
speech making trip TO Sicily. during
part of which the correspondent was
3 humble trailer. On the ship which
was TO take Farinacci from Naples TO
Palermo, the first class gangplank
was reserved for him and his suite.
all other passengers entering Steerage.
The ships officers and representatives
of the army were drawn up on the
dock to salute him. Half the deck
was reserved for him and no one was
permitted to approach where he trod.
Yet. technically he is only a private
citizen except for his position as
deputy. which in Itself would procure
him little honor.
At Palermo F'arinacci was taken
off the ship in a royal yacht and all
the blackshirts of the city and vicin-
ity were drawn up to escort him to
his hotel. AS he approached the
municipal hall four brass bands in
toned. in varying tempos and keys.
the royal march. usually played only
in homage to the King. II was
Fascist day in Palermo and the or
binary citizen merely kept out of
the way while the continuous dem
onstrations passed.
Farinacci gained his reputation as
Fascist boss" of Cremona. He turned
a turbulent and very "proletarian"
town of frightened workers And
through the violent editorials in his
newspaper. the Cremona Nuova. he
attracted the attention and loyalty of
provincial Fascist everywhere. Grad
ually he became the hero of an in
surgent movement within the party
that of the "Provincials' against the
Romans" The Romans" many of
whom had come to Rome from the
provinces at the time of the march
on Rome, had got all the good jobs, SO
the "Provincials" said, and were run
ming things as they liked Worst
of all they were compromising.
The "Provincials" would not COM
promise and they wanted recogni-
ton. so last Winter Farinacci be-
came secretary of the party, assum-
ing the functions previously held by
three or four party officials
The language Farinacci uses in his
speeches and editorials shock many
Italians and most foreigners. One
day he calls for machine guns
against all members of the oppoSi-
ton; another day he names certain
leaders of the opposition who must
be withdrawn from circulation" :"
Again he will urge that opposition to
the government be made a peni-
tentiary offense. He applies obscene
epithets to members of the supreme
court He takes peoples breath
away by saying things that are in
direct opposition to recent statements
of Mussolini.
But it is hinted that his opposition
to his chief is by no means so serious
as il seems. Perhaps, it is suggested,
Mussolini the statesman is not free to
say things that Mussolini the party
leader would like to say, and-well,
Farinacci is. Anyway, the black-Shirt
rank and file like their speeches hot,
and become nervous and obstreperous
if the thermometer falls. There has
not been the slightest sign of strain
between the two Fascist top-notchers.
And the same people who say that
Farinacci cannot spell, that he is an
adventurer and a madman. will add
that he is a gentleman. He does not
graft; he keeps his word; he sticks by
his friends. And his madness seems
to have method in it. Unquestionably
he has a flair for politics. He knows
what the mass of his followers want to
hear at any given time and he knows
how to impose his will on the many.
And, withal, there is about him re-
serve that removes him from the class
of demagogues. AS his train draws up
at a provincial station fire lzeid E'as-
cisti gather outside his car window.
Without taking his cigarette out OF
his mouth he acknowledges the dem
onstration with a cynical grin and the
slightest lift of his eyebrows. There
upon the cheering becomes more tren-
Zied than ever.
Copyright 1925. by Chicago Daily News Co..