Evening star., 1934-06-17
EXPERTS WILL CONTROL
PRODUCTION In ITALY
Mussolini Follows Up Belief in Worth
lessness of Parliaments by Setting
Up New Ruling Body.

were crying for limitation of their
yields, in providing homes and recrea-
ton centers for the great masses Of
the people so that by the end of 1893
the social and economic condition Of
the italian population was higher
than ever in the history of the penin-
Sula.
Parliaments Too Slow.
1t has been the firm conviction that
the present organs Of government are
not suitable to the present industrial
age. Parliaments cannot respond
quickly to an emergency. Their de-
cisionS are long and drawn out and
by the time action is taken a prob
lem has already developed into a
catastrophe.
And what can parliament do with
the unemployment problem? The
English Parliament has battled for
this whole postwar period to try and
relieve unemployment and it is no
further ahead today than it was at
the end of the war. The United
States had a big unemployment prob
lem for the whole Of the crisis and
not until dictatorial powers were
granted to the President was there
any progress made in meeting that
grievous condition.
1t is this futility of parliaments to
meet the present progressive advance
in science and industry which induced
Mussolini to announce the end of the
Chamber of Deputies as veStige Of
the demo-liberal form of government
AS far back as 1920. when he was
newspaper editor. Mussolini wrote
private letter to one of his follow
ers, which has been published only
recently. stating that single parlia-
ments have done their time and will
certainly be replaced in the near fu-
ture by assemblies of competent men,
each acting within the sphere of his
own competence.
Set-up of New Body
This shows how far-Sighted he was
He has stated that the new body will
consist of between 300 and 400 mem
bers and will be drawn from all
branches of the country's productive
activity. The country's production
will be divided into categories and
each category will be administered by
experts in that particular branch of
activity 1t is the economic ensemble
of these experts which will constitute
the legislative body in economic mat
ters for the whole of Italy.
In the new body the members in
their particular sphere will consider
and study the interests of the whole
nation. 1t will be a body which will
respond to modern needs and will reg
ulate production SO that it will cor
respond to consumption. 1t will de-
eide disputes between capital and
labor. 1t will have at its disposal
body of experts who will know the
currents of trade and the needs of
the nation so that industry may be
extended or curtailed. whatever the
case may be. This body will have
complete control of the economic
activity of the nation.
Already the basis and the frame
work of the organization have been
established Since 1927, the economic
activities of Italy have been classified
into seven great confederations-agri
culture, industry, land transportation,
sea transportation, banking. commerce
and the professions. These bodies,
composed Of employers and employees.
have worked together so well that
Italy has weathered the economic
crisis better than far richer nations.
Initiative Encouraged
The new legislative and administra-
tive body will be an extension of this
idea. The categories of industry will
be split up further and increased to
40 or so. On these will rest the re-
SponSibility for the economic pros
perity of the nation.
But is Fascism then a new form of
Bolshevism? Not at all. 1t leaves the
field open for individual initiative and
even individual competition, two in
dispensable hinges on which progress
turns. Liberty is not to be hindered
in anything which is not opposed to
the general well-being Thus, while
the Bolshevists condemn any busi-
ness which is not production, Fascism
recognizes that commerce is an indis-
penSable need The essence of the
F'acist state is thus briefly stated:
Almost total control of production;
almost total freedom of commerce;
total freedom of consumption.
Nor are the spiritual and creative
activities of the country to be neg
lected. Mussolini is too much of a
creator himself to deny the spiritual
values inherent in the Italian nation.
The arts and sciences. the uriversi-
ties, the great cultural bodies, the
great recreational organizations, all
will have representation. Mussolini
has never neglected the higher at
tributes in the nations creative power,
as witness what Fascist Italy has &C
complished in art. research, science.
recreation and the entire realm of
those forces which allow the express
sion of the peoples spiritual i'm
pulses. The new reform will give this
scope for development in a greater
degree than ever.