Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-11-21

Recent mass marriages in Italy,
brought about by Premier Mussolini's
policy designed to increase the popula-
| ton of the nation. arouse American in
terest, particularly because of the pro-
| vision that a tax on bachelors shall
create the funds for money awards made
to the young welded couples. There is
no criticism in comments on the bache-
lor tax, but questions are raised as TO
the<aoility of Italy to support largely
increased population
Bachelors will soon be as extinct as
the dodo In Italy, predicts the Johns
Premier Mussolini is taxing them out
OF existence Noting that each couple
in q recent mass marriage OF several
thousands received gift Of money, the
Tribune concludes. TN that gift of
money lies the whole secret of the Ital-
ian bachelors headlong plunge into the
doubtful sea of matrimony. He furnishes
the money in the form of q special tax
imposed by the government upon all I'M
married men. OF course, there may be
some courageous souls who viii hold no
price too high to pay for freedom. but
Ita1y's premier is nothing IL not re-
so!rceiul. If the tax doesn't do 100
per cert Job he'll ind another way
.'Italisn bachelors, no doubt" suggests
the Jersey City journal. ARE not en-
thusiastic about the tax, but they VIII
probably cherish their freedom more
than ever, because the price is high"
That paper recalls the details Of recent
marriage of $500 couples, with the sus-
picion that american bridegrooms.
faced with rising costs of living, must
envy the Italian benedict who gets
married at the expense Of bachelors"
The Journal continues: ''The flowers,
music, colorful costumes and gifts OF
j 900 lire banknotes all came out OF the
pockets of Italy's single men of mar
riageable age. Paradoxieal as it may
seem from the American viewpoint, 1t Is
cheaper to get married than stay single.
But the dictator Is not interested in
creating marriages alone. He bases his
heroic measure on the plea for an in
crease In the Italian population. There's
no time like the present, he believes, for
creating future Fascists. Italy has lost
hundreds Of thousands Of Its citizens
through emigration, mostly to the
United States. where the opportunities
for advancement have been.greater than
IN the homeland. These hundreds OF
thousands of Italians In turn have
reared their families In America. There
Is little hope of these American-born
Italians returning to the land of their
parents. Therefore, Mussolini indicates
by his bachelor tax, he Is determined
to see his soldiers and citizens produced
and reared on the home grounds"
Observing that Premier Mussolini's
theory as to the future prosperity of
Italy is in direct contradiction of the
accepted American theory" the Roam |
oke World-News says that only time
can tell which is wrong" 1t directs at
tention to the fact that Sin the United |
States the birth rate had fallen no
ticeably In the years before the depres-
sion, and the rate Of its fall has con- |
tinued until lower registrations are now /
reported In the public schools" The
World-News continues. I'VE hear |
much Of the number now unemployed, |
and have accepted the statement that |
in an age of machine production, even /
with return OF normal spending, not |
all of these people would be needed to |
produce the things ordinarily con-
sumed. We are told that by putting a
stop to immigration, shortening the /
hours of work, and slowing down the /
birth rate. the problem Of unemploy-
ment will eventually be solved. There I
are not lacking those who claim that
the United States Is proceeding on the /
and the coming to the States OF con-
slant new population. increased markets
would be provided for the factories that Z
have been standing idle, that only /
constantly increasing population can /
make q up for the constant improvement T
OF processes Of manufacture. The two
iheofie'i SEEM TO PC IN dirret conflict.
Where does Mussolinl pr0l,oes To colo