Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-12

AAHE VAlbX WN3ROA 10 0LSkA1ktc0 VI ONCAe
hroWing q government and founding
The Benito Masso.ini Of those days
He had attempted to carry the Social
1T party with him IN his efthusiasm
COZ. war and had failed. He had at
tempted TO stir the Italian masses to
I frenzy Of heroism and had seen
whole regiments run away at Capo-
rotto. He had attempted to lead q
crusade TO seize by force what diplo.
macy had denied TO italy and found
!, Annunzto, there before him. the Idol
Il Italian patriots. And finally he saw
the Socialist movement, which he had
quit ~ impractical and spineleSs,
triumph as bolsheyism In Russia, and
on the point OF selling
power In Italy. He had nothing left
Of his once ambitious career save
hin struggling newspaper, g. few de-
voted supporters. his fountain pen
and his genius.
How Mussolini in two years rose
10 supreme power in isscountry. and
made himself the most forceful and
dramatic personality in the contem-
porary world, Is still In part q mys-
terry, But the consecutive story OF
Mussolinfs rise goes far toward fill-
Ing in the various gaps.
Borrowed HIS Weapons.
Mussoiini. sitting in the editorial
ONCE OF the Popolo d'Italia people
Of italy,. saw one thing clearly; one
:annot overthrow D government with
out weapons. and II one have no
weapons the only place 20 set them
Is from ones enemies. Borrowing his
weapons was the MASTER
stroke with which Mussolini opened
his triumphal career.
The enemies" In this case, were
not the Socialists and Communists,
but the liberals and the men OF the
middle parties, who for three decades
had governed italy under the direc-
ton Of the old fox" Giolitti. (who
always ruled, no matter which Of his
pack Of trained premiers happened to
hold ofiice). MussOlini's campaign
was not directed primarily against
Bolshevism.s Boshevism was merely
IN obstacle which needed to be clear
"a out Of his way.
When the Bolshevtk agitation was
at it, height, In the Summer Of 1920,
little was heard Of MussoliniT and his
blaclxshirts. Indeed, the duce does
not seem to have objected to the SELF
nre Of the factories and the invasion
Of the land on social or economic
grounds, since he co1nseled his fol-
lowers under certain circumstances
10 do the same. The backbone OF the
Socialist agitation was broken not by
RAscisrn but by the policy Of strategic
retreats, aided by the logic OF the
Bttu01tOn. aSss NE y5sfssls5
Situation ct End Of 1870.
When Mussolini's blackshirts came
INTO action toward the end of 1890
the occupation OF the factories had
already failed, the Socialist move
ment was split into three parts, the
masses were disillusioned, and the
working classes had begun TO settle
down to the economic grind just a.
their brothers In Germany, Austria
and other countries were doing.
But the socialist power, exercised
through the trade unions, the coop
erative societies and the town admin
was still formidable, and
Il was this which Mussoiini Get out
% destroy. Gioliti could not do II
through the legal means at his COM
mand. Mussolini, with his young
men, aching for d Tight,
perhaps could do 6 extra.legAlly.
What deal was arrived at between
Mussolini and Giolitti II not recorded;
neither ID Il known how the negotia.
tons were conducted. But suddenly
the blaclk.shirt battnliOns appeared on
the scene well armed with rifles and
machine guns, with abundant aInmu.
milton and with motor trucks to carry
them on their punitive expeditions.
Money was obtained by voluntary con.
tributicns from the big land owners
and industrialists. % we'll az from pa
triotic individuals.
Troops Wsre Wen Armed.
Like good general. Mussolini took
no chances. He saw to e that his
troops were better armed than their
adversar1es. Many Of his punitive en-.
petitions were followed by detach.
ments Of the national police or Of
the army. r. the lighting went
e the black.shirts were defeated. the
the peace. Despite some reverses,
Mussolini acquired q reputation FOR
Presently he had q voiun.
tary militia and strike. breaking or.
ganization on an almost nationwide
scale.
Then one day tine government
learned that the F'ascisti were about
to march on Rome, fully armed, 70
replace the ministry with governs
ment.n What must have been the
Of Giolitti and his friends "a
see the arms which they had loaned
turned against themi
4 The Liberals, who had ruled Italy
Tor 80 years, were removed, and three
years later they were virtually exilod
from public life.
Nearly q century and q half ago
there was q young man Of Italian
blood and temperament who found
himself In almost exactly the same
situation as Mussolitii found himself
III 1890. Lieut. Napoleon Buona-
pafte, be ITALIAN parents and BY the
accident Of q commercial deal q
French citizen, had made b mess 81
his career. He had bet on the wrong
party-the bolshevik party Of his day
and when that party fell from pow
er he found himself within an inch
0f prison. But he, like Mussolini,
overthrow 8 government, and. Ga
Mussolini, according u his own pro.
intends TO DO. he founded
an empire. ss
CompaEiscn Between Two.
The ccknparison between the two g
tempting. Both were republicans IN
their youth and both became monarch,
lists III middle age. Both Ia their
youth wrote essays to prove the non.
existence OF God. only to come tc
s..at..4 ,.,tSs <a,~..s. &.ytkf. 49,. M <fssl1n
Church when they came to power.
10th were agitafors on the extreme
left 81 the popular movement, only TO
become authoritarian protectors 81
property later on, Both protested q
kind 81 internAkionalihm when they
wsf6 yOung, only 10 become expo.
neits of aggressive nationAlisnn II
their days o4 greatness. Both, ~.
though they wrote voIukninously on
The theory 81 tho universe. believed
profoundly that the world IS shaped