Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-19

"A uCW UOOh Is dUOuL W UC PUNISH
ed in Italy which is bound to be a
best seller" 1t is called The Book
of Our Faith" although that may not
be the title printed on the cover. The
principal author for it is a compila.
tion) is one Signor Mussolini, who col.
Elaborated with the Grand Council of
Fascismo in preparing the raw ma.
terial. This volume" says Musso.
lini, will be the ''infallible compass of
every activity Of the Fascist"
Since the new book is not yet of
the press, it would be premature to
undertake to review it, but perhaps
timely enough for a column on the
background of so important an event
Inquiry was made of a diplomat who
had lived many years in Italy as to
just what is Fascism-how does it
differ from bolshevism and democracy.
The answer was that it could not be
given a definition which would satisfy
all parties. The ideals Of Italians,
their conception of what is liberty"
and what is true democracy, differ
radically from the ideals of Ameri.
cans. To an Italian America is far
from being a land of the free" We
have too many sumptuary laws and
we have an exaggerated notion of how
women should be exalted. and-well,
Italy Is different. Signor Mussolini
himself said recently that the young
men of Italy are tired Of liberty;
what they want is hierarchy and
discipline" That does seem to differ
from what American youth Graves.
In a book, THE Fascist Expert.
ment," by Luigi Villari, this state.
ment appears: "Fascism regards the
individual as means and society as
an end. The leading problem
of Fascism is that of the right Of the
state and the duty of the individual.
Fascism believes. as do the older doc.
trines,. that the necessary conditions
whereby the individual may freely de.
velop his personality must be secured.
But it does not recognize in the indi.
vidual a right to liberty superior to
the state"
So Patrick Henry's cry, "Give me
liberty or give me death" would prob.
ably be easily complied with-as to
one of his alternatives. Which?
Quoting again from the same au-
thor:
Democracy places the government
Of the state In the hands Of the
multitude Of living citizens, SO that
they may utilize it for their own
advantage: Fascism demands that
the government should be in the
hands Of men capable Of rising above
the consideration Of their own inter.
ests and Of realizing those Of society,
the life Of which comprises that of
the infinite series Of generations.
Fascism rejects the theory Of popu.
lar government and sets up in its
place that Of the sovereignty Of the
State. land Louis XIV and Musso.
lini agree 'L'etat c'est moi!)
THAT does not mean that the mass
must be excluded from all influence
in the life Of the state. On the
contrary. especially in peoples with
a long history and great traditions,
even amongst the most humble, there
ties Of the race, which at historic
moments reveals itself with an almost
infallible instinct"
Further calculating the doctrine,
Signor Villari says:
1.-THE unlimited self.defense Of a
class, which finds expression in
strikes, boycotts and sabotage, leads
fatally to anarchy. The state
has long prevented individuals from
taking justice into their own hands;
it must do the same with classes. and
intervene in order to establish state
justice between class and class. To
the age Of individualism. Of an en-.
feebled state. Of INSTRUMENTATION, sue
ceeds the age Of social being. of
authority, Of hierarchy
IF many individual Fascists fall
from grace, as, indeed, many do, and
expect merely rights and advantages
from Fascism, they at least realize
that this attitude is not in conformity
with the principles Of the movement"
Signor Mussolini writes of the forth
coming Book of Our Faith: It's
words hold the living truth of the
bloody and formidable effort aiming
at the demolition of the old regime
and the creation Of new order OF
things. 1t is sufficient to read
the resolutions of the Fascist Grand
Council. from the first historic sitting.
in January, 1923, to the last, no less
historic one. in April, 1927. to see how
Fascist doctrine evolved, step by step.
out Of Italy'S living CONTEMPORARY haGp