The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-03-19
By ANGELICA BALABANOFF

and discussed the thing with me till O'Clock in the
morning When he left, without my consent Mus
solini told that he could not conceive how I
had managed to resist his insistenee The dav after
at Genoa, met this comrade who cheerfully told
me that he had obtained what he desired He never
had gone to Mussolini at his address and had
persuaded him TO give his approval in writing
Things continued in such way until 1914
In August OF that year Mussolini who, as usual
reflected the sentiment of those by whom he was
surrounded, was an ardent internatonast and anti
militarist. He had read in socialist review that
u the war had been prevented it would have been
disaster, because it would have weakened the So
ciahst movement, So for many months after the
beginning OF the war. he defended this opinion, not
because he conceived it himself but because it had
been suggested to him. In that period the sent-
ment against intervention in the war were confined
only to the proletariat Notwithstanding the spirit
of war began to be diffused rapidly among the
middle classes and to also infect Mussolin But he
published his first declaration in favor OF the union
with the allies in bourgeois paper through a
friends intervention
This article which wanted to demonstrate that
the Socialist Party not unanimous about the
war and which showed how a member of the exc
cutive in favor Of Italy fighting on the side
Of France, caused tremendous indignation
The Party executive immediately organized a con-
ference at Bologne where Mussoln was called to
defeHd his action. On the eve Of this encounter he
published an article in the "Avanti!" ia which he
revealed openly ms change OF front. He held that
ITALY should intervene in the war with the western
powers and he was evidently anxious to engage
The party on this road before the conference took
place.
We went to Bologne together in November. 1914.
read the article the train and said TO Mussolin.
If you have written this you must either go and
engage yourself in the army i'm an insane asylum
You certainly must not expect to remain in the
Larty.9
Mussolin answered twistingly: "The whole Exc
cutive Committee will be with me-"
Evidently lie deceived himself because the party
whole unit against him.
never shall forget this conference at Bolopne
seen
One after the other the members of the Execu
tive Committee came on the platform and con-
denned Mussulini's attitude
He remained silent gloomy, irresolute, with a
wandering look, like man accused of a crime
Finally l spoke and said that he should reconsider
his position. not because he was indispensable to
the "Avanti!' but because he was on the wrong
track
Mussolini did not reply until The Executive Com
inittee had voted unanimously to fire him from his
post. | then made motion asking to give him some
money.
Then he rose and said in a rude and villainous
manner II do not want anything III throw away
my pen. dent want to write anymore. | want to
return to my trade as mason for Tires a day."
But the truth that he had already received
funds for paper in which Mussolini would be free
to preach war
At this congress he gave me the impression of
a man terrified by his own bad conscience