The Enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 192?-1930, 1927-06-03
Black Shifted
Fascists In Italy

policeman.
Mussolini No Cheese
All Italy loves Mussolini and
speaks we'll of him. As | said in an
other article. l soon learned that |
had better love him and speak we'll
OF Kim myself. A few months ago
a smart young American got HIM
self into a peck CT trouble here. In
an argument with cabman over
fare the American said he thought
Mussolini was "a big cheese" or
words to that effect.
To find out what some Italians
really think about Mussolini or Fas-
cism, whichever term you prefer, one
must get out of Italy.
One might take chance and
speak a part of his mind in some
of the larger cities btu several Amer
leans, and English and French per-
sons with whom l have talked say
it's worth ones life to say anything
against him in the smaller towns.
Fascism Like Ku KluX
Another thing about Fascism that
had familiar ring to me is that
the charges against II, most of
which are true, read very much like
the history of the Khan in Recon-
struction --assassinations, whip
pings, manning, the invasion and
destruction of private homes, the
raidlng and burning Of newspaper
offices, and other outrages. And
somehow, just as in the case of
lynching, the police never happen
to be around or are powerless to
deal with the situation.
In one year 76 anti-Fascists are
said to have been assassinated, one
of them being Mussolini's leading
opponent, Matteotti.
Press Muzzled
At present no newspaper is per-
mltted to print any opinion hostile
to Mussolini labor is not permitted
to go on strike; the death sentence
which was abolished has been reviv-
ed; jazz is not permitted-a reason
why colored Americans are very
scarce in Italy; dancing and other
amusements are reduced to mini
mum, and work is the order of the
day. The Duce. a tireless worker,
aims to have all Italy following
| his example.
Church Going Only Diversion
The only diversion freely permit
ed is church-going, and 1t is said
the Duce would have a finger in
that pie, too, but the church is too
strong. A red-hot Socialist in his
earlier days he was also anti-clergy.
Bachelors Must Wed
One law of his that will be Of in
terest to the ladies is that all men
over twenty-five must marry or pay
a tax. Did | hear a chorus of bach
elors say that the tax which Is about
ten dollars a year is cheap at any
price? 1t seems to me that enc on
the single ladies' instead would bring
better results. The Duce L. also
against boards, which, of course,
makes a hit with the BARRIERS.
King Not Important
Yes, Italy is Mussolini, and Mus
collin, Italy. % etat c'est moi. OF
course, there's a king but he seems
about as important as one of those
hen-pecked husbands one sees In
the movie comedies Placards bear
ing the picture of himself and the
Duce are posted all over the king
/ dom. In this picture the king is
shown as being taller than Mussoli-
nj which is not only not so, but
what Roosevelt would call nature
taking, for it is almost impossible to
be shorter than the king. He is such
midget that he wears ladies' heels
and, l understand, an inside heel,
too.
II Duce Once Prisoner
Mussolini is the perfect example
of man who has reversed himself
Before the war. he he'd served SEN
fences In the Prisons of five Euro
pean countries for his pronounce
ments against capitalism and mill
tarism. Now he is the spokesman
of capital He, like the Pope, also
opposes Freemasonry.
Italy has an illiteracy rate higher
than that of the Mississippi Negro,
or Georgia poor-white; saved the
Ira which was about TO go the way
of the mark, and in shirt, restored
order out Of the chaos that followed
the Versailles treaty.
Ii was case of choosing between
the devil and the deep sea, and the
4
Italians chose the deep sea, because
in that case has not one a chance to
swim? His announcements in favor
of capital had the effect of inspiring
confidence in investors.
1t is to be doubted whether the
Socialists would have done anything
near as we'll Most radicals, like
most very religious folk ARE usually
content to waste their time and
that of others in bitter strife over
piffling details.
In brief. Mussolini is "a benevol-
ent despot" with none of the Caesar
pose one sees in his popular pic
lures. But. of course, the masses
which take to the latest song or any
other novelty, Fascism as they do
to a dog fight or are looking for
fireworks or miracle reason
for not judging Marcus Garvey too
harshly.
The average Fascist fondly be-
lieves that Mussolini is going to re-
store all the power of old Rome.
as Garveys followers looked for his
African kingdom. OF course. Mus
solini, with something to lose. has