Evening star., 1926-04-08

The attempt yesterday to assassi
nate Mussolini in Rome may delay
his proposed visit TO Tripoli. The
| Fascist premier has declared that he
will make Italy a greater empire thar
that Of ancient Rome; he will not
only rebuild Rome, but will extend
the imperial power of the na tion.
This determine ton that Italy shall
exp8 nd Ia not merely a personal OBJ
session of the leader OF the F'ascists;
it appea rs to be the very essence pf
F'ascism, as expressed by the Fascist
press, where no press uttera nees are
tolerated unless in accord with the
policies OF the government.
In Fascist organ. Idea Nazionsie,
appeared recently this pronounce
ment:
In a few years we shall be mensced
by q formidable crisis OF unemploy
ment and misery, which may have the
greatest possible consequences socially
and politically, not merely for Italy
but for the whole Of Europe. This IL
the greatest. the unacceptable problem,
of Italian life today. II we do not
mean to perish the time II at hand
we need. The existing map Of the
this cha nge ear be brought about only
by an act Of force
Population in Italy continues to
show q net annual increase of more
than 40e, 900. For the last halt
century Italian emigration has been
the safety valve Of overpopuiation.
No people Ia increasing in population
as are the Italians. and since the emf
grants poured their surplus earnings
In foreign Ia nds back to the support
OF relatives at home. and them mselves
returned after an absence of emily
three or four years. the migration was
encouraged
In recent years, prior to America n
immigration restriction laws. We re-
ceived an average OF about 400 coo
Italians annually, but now the number
is less than a tenth Of that. Other
countries. too, are shutting their gates
against immigration. Since the close
of the World War more than a million
Italians have migrated into Fra anee
and taken possession OF great prov
inces, until even the French are talk.
ing OF the italian menace" and
threatening imn,igrs tion restriction, In
spite Of the shortage OF men In
France.
With the persistent birth rate in
Italy, surpe ssing that Of any other
civilized nation and adding, net. near
ly half a million annually TO the al.
ready overcrowded peninsula, the
problem OF expansio Of territory IL
indeed pressing upon italian states
men. They look in vain to America,
but not so hopelessly to Africa. 1t is.
therefore, of very great significance
that Mussolini has planned an ofiicial
visit to Tripoli, accompanied by prom
inent officials and by an imposing
naval escort. As one Fascist paper
expresses II. 1T is a spectacle Of
force, not q parade
Mussolini and party plan to return
ON the National Coloniai day." April
2I, when u program will be inauyurated
to induce capitalists to use Tripoli' >
resources s an outlet for emigration. !"
1t is said by the Italian press, While
the imperial force Of Italy IL explained
as referring solely to Tripoli, 1t is also
repeated consta ntly that Italy needs
to exps nd imperially through trade in
fiuence and eventually through actual
increase Of territory" (Thus spoke
Kaiser Wilhelm uf Germany--then
came the World War)
~ 4
What Is Tripoli. and what ID
Italy's hold upon it2
Tripoli lies opposite Italy upon the
south shore Of the Mediterranean Sea.
and is nearly four times ~ large ~
is Italy. Il extends $40 miles east
and west md $50 miles south. having
an area Of about 4O6 600 square miles.
While It ia referred to A. Tripoli the
whole country of LibyA is meant,
which includes Tdrpli, CyrenaicA,
pRA~-aA n 49, n ~