Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-16


By HIRAM X. MODERWELL.
of The star and the Chicago
Daily News.
ROME, June 6.--It is pretty gem
orally agreed that the dictatorial sys.
tenn which Mussolini has established
in Italy works, as administered by
the genius and personal prestige OF
the duce himself. But 1t is not I'M
naturally asked: what will happen
when Mussolini dies?"
Let It be stated Immediately, since
our Italian friends are often sens1-
tive on this point, that this article
does not imply that there is any dam
ger of his dying before the appointed
age Of threescore and ten. Musso.
lini's intestinal ulcer appears to be
completely cured. His vitality and
endurance are more astonishing than
ever. And although two attempts at
ASA ssination were made last year,
elaborate precautions are maintained
by the secret service and there Is no
reason to fear that future attempts
will succeed.
The question to be answered Is:
docs the Mussolini system contain
the stuff of permanence or is 1t only
a personal and exceptional creations"
Thousands Have Suffered.
1t is often argued that his ruthless
and often bloody methods 10000 1tal-
ians are said to have been killed by
the Fascist in their civil war and
tens of thousands have been-virtu-
ally exiled) have engendered such deep
and widespread hatred that IL he
should disappear the masses would
rise up and overthrow the Fascist
regime.
But supposing they rose up" they
could do little more. For the Fascteti
have all the guns. There are $50, ono
excitable young men eager to shoot
on the word OF command, with the
regular army of q quarter of a mill
lion in reserve. A popular anti
Fascist uprising would simply be a
massacre. y No such popular move
ment is going to overthrow Fascism,
no matter how dead Mussolini might
be.
No uprising could succeed unless it
were armed. There are, then, only
two possibilities: A revolt by the
army or a split in the Fascist forces
themselves.
Mussolini, according to well inform
ed persons, has by no means ignored
the eventuality Of his death. His aim.
ever since the Matteotti affair was
hQuidated, has been so to consolidate
the Fascist party that it would con.
tinue q compact and efficient instru-
ment even after his death. He has
managed to weed out most of the dis
reputable elements which had inevf.
tably attached themselves to the
movement and to suppress most Of
the annoying local dissidents.
Had Planned for Successors.
At one time, when his physical con-
dition was causing some concern, 1t
was credibly reported that he had
named a triumvirate to succeed him,
consisting OF Federzoni, the powerful
minister of interior; Rocco, the widely
respected minister of justice, and Gen.
Badoglio, chief of the general staff, a
brilliant military technician, who has
kept free from party politics. Such
triuInvirate would have combined
various necessary elements Of
strength while eliminating the unsta-
bel radical elements of the movement.
It was predicted formerly that
when Lenin died bolshevism would
collapse. Yet Lenin's death caused
not a. ripple in Russian political life.
The system was so strong, the domi-
mating party so well disciplined, that
revolt was unthinkable.
The Italian temperament, of course,
is more adventurous; Italian events
are less easily practicable. Yet, on
the whole, the Fascist party and
regime are fast becoming consolidat-
ed, as happened in Russia long before
Lenin's death.
For a time there was one shadow to
threaten the stability Of the Facist re-
gime In Roberto Farinacci, the former
secretary-general of the party, who
was relieved Of his Office last spring.
His great popularity among the more
reckless young Facists of the North
seemed to justify the fear that in a
time OF crisis he might make violent
bid for power. But his recent dis
grace and elimination from Facist
politics through his connection with
the bankrupt Agricultural Bank Of
Parma removes even this remote peril
from the Facist machine. No other
formidable enemy now looms from
within or without.
The army that is to say, the officer
class, after a long period of diff.
dence, appears to have been won over
to the Fascist regime. The officers
| have received numerous advantages,
moral and material, from Mussolini.
There can be no question OF a spon.
taneons revolt In the event of Musso-
liniS death. The army would hardly
enter into the political situation un.
less a struggle within the party left
Fascism helpless or q disastrous war
left It discredited.
On the purely civil and admrnistra.
tive side there is no reason why the
Mussolini system should collapse.
F,aScism has had time to train compe-
tent administrators both in national
and local politics. The web of personal
interests is strong and could not cas-
lily be destroyed. Many Of Mussolini'3
chief coIlaborators, who would con-
tinue his work In the event of hiS
death, are men of outstanding Ca
pacity. Finally. the system itself,
with its vast concentration of power
in the hands OF the central govern
ment, has its own elements Of sta
biiity.
on the whole It may be said that
MussOlini is no longer essential TO the
continuance Of the Fascist regime, al
though he Is doubtless essential TO its
continued increase in prestige. The
unexpected can always happen In
Italy. but the evolution to be expect
ca Is gradual settling down and re-
ad 'lstment over Q long period 0f
ys