Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-02
SOUTH TYROL RESENTFUL
OVER MUSSOLINTS POLICY
Latest Pro-Reich Deal May Come Too
Late to Help Undo Mistakes
Made Since War.

the country. People had to be told
about the loan and what would hap
pen If they did not subscribe to 1t. The
Fascist regime was placed in q position
where 1t had to permit the publication
of few German language papers. This
permission was granted on the condi-
ton. however, that, in order to prevent
mischief, the local police chiefs would
be placed on the editorial STATS of the
papers. The South Tyrolean press Of
its readers. Since this applies to the
Italian press, as well, the Tyroeans
have no cause for complaint.
Italian Language Is Forced.
1t is not easy to g.. . -catacomb
school" except when the visitor knows
how to ingratiate himself with o few
of the village elders. These schools are
still in existence, and they meet as .
rule in peasant houses to learn the
German word, which has been OUT
| Iawed in South Tyrol Signor Mussolini
has been true to his word, which every
child in these parts knows by heart:
South Tyrol was entirely German
when we took over the reign. Every.
where nothing but Germans and Ger.
man speech. I have set this right.
rhe Italian language is now obligatory
throughout the country. The land must
become italian"
Before the establishment of the
catacomb schools, German teachers,
mostly young women, were arrested,
kept in jail, fined or expelled from the
country Even religious instruction In
Germany was forbidden. Catholic
priests. who in South Tyrol have ale
ways been identified with the Nationals
list cause have been put out of their
churches or forced to leave the country
for violating this ordinance.
Display Pictures Of ii Duce.
What strikes the visitor most IN
South Tyrol is the profusion Of Musso-
| lini pictures. In this respect Tyrol u
more Roman than Rome Is. But Rome
never had a Project Ricci-in whom the
| German inhabitants see a Fascist Po-
| temkin-to give strict orders that the
dictator's picture must be displayed In
all public places, in council chambers
as well as in barrooms. so that when
| the Duce himself would visit the re-
gion he should know Of the affectionate
esteem In which he is held in South
| Tyrol-a tribute not only to his own
! greatness but also to that of FaScismo.
On the surface very little has re-
manned of what had given South Tyrol
its particular aroma. The steam roller
| of Standardization Is working tnces-
sanity. The picturesque voluntary fire.
mems brigades, as Tyrolean as the edel-
weiss, have been put out OF existence.
It was their efficiency that spelled their
doom. One day, so the Gyroleans tell
| you, the podesta of Bozen noticed with
| what speed the local fire brigade arrived
at burning building. Such speed, the
podesta thought must be dangerous for
the veal of the land. What II these
swift moving brigades were used a.
rallying points of Tyrolean nalcons
| Ac ~
South Tyrol is now protected by paid
firemen, less efficient but more reliable
than their predecessors.
Alpine Club Disbanded.
The Tyrolean Alpine Club, typically
native product, has been disbanded ana
} replaced by the Club Alpine Italiannb
The Tyrolean "Bauerbund" Jared nkeY
wise. This peasant league achieved
fame as an unusually successful venture
of farmers to take their problems IN
their own hands and to help themselves
to comparative prosperity on q co-opere
alive basis. It did excellent work In
| buying seed and fertilizers for its meme
bers and selling their agricultural prods
ucts It has built up a savings bank
system with branches scattered throughs
! out the land The "Bund" also was
recognized as potential center of dis.
content Its resources were turned over
to a Fascist organization which does
not enjoy the confidence Of the peas
| ants
What makes life particularly hard
for the South Tyrolese is the lack Of
contact with the Italians. This Is q
liberty-loving nation living in q come
pact German settlement, some 100000
persons strong. The Fascists would
like to claim the South TyroleSe for
themselves. as the descendants Of Ro-
man settlers. On the pre-war maps Of
the italian Institute Geographic this
part of preSent-day Italy was described
as purely German. Conscientious his
torical research has established the
fact that these mountain folk are the
descendants Of Teutonic tribes. Sons
time in the sixth century of the present
era, when the Gothic kingdom Of Italy
was broken up, large number Of Cloths
took refuge in the mountain passes OF
the Dolomites and have perpetuated
their racial characteristics while ad.
justing themselves to the customs Of
the surrounding German tribes. The
South Tyrolese are on very high culS
tural level Illiteracy is unknown among
them. They are a strong and sturdy
race which has successfully weathered
many storm.
Arraign Guards as Taskmasters.
The South Tyrolese complain that
the Fascist militia and carabineers who
have been sent to keep them in check
came predominantly from the southern
part of italy, where the cultural level
of the population has not yet reached
Tyrolean standards. These taSkmaSs
tiers. according to the native population,
are trying to hide their lack Of culture
under brutal assertion Of their rights
as conquerors.
The territory which the Germans CAN
South Tyrol and which at the end Of
the World War was turned over to
Italy, is situated between Bremen Pass
in the north and the gorge Of the
Saturn in the south Its main cities
are Meran, Bozen and Brixen, old Ger
man towns in both appearance and in
spirit, as any one who has visited them
can testify. This part of the German
speaking world has always played an
important part culturally. 1t was here
that Walter Won der Vogelweide, Fred
erich Won Sonneburg and Oswald Won
Wolkenstein worked. The Niebelungen
Lied, according to some scholars, origi-
mated in the valleys of South Tyrol.
MussoIini Known Here.
To the south Of this section lies tlas
So-called Trentino, which, like South
Tyrol, was under Hapsburg rule until
the end of the World War. The nouns
tains of Trentino run precipitously into
the northern Italian plainland. Tha
chief city of this section Is TRENT. Apart
from two insignificant conclaves, Tren-
tino Is overwhelmingly Italian. It was
there that during the war the AUS
TRAN Italians were most vocal In their
irredentist propaganda. Mussolini was
an assistant editor of Pro Trentino, q
journal in this district, for which acc