Evening star., 1934-01-05
BY HARRY CARR,
Special Correspondent OF The Star.


VIENNA (NANAD 1t is much
easier-and safer-to write about Italy
after you leave it And there are many
astonishing things to write about it.
What is happening in Italy is likely to
spread through Europe and perhaps
much further. II Duce is, n fact, run
ming school for dictators.
Dollfuss, the little Napoleon of Aus
spent much time in Italy studying
earnestly and humbly-the methods
and devices Of the dictator.
Hitler obviously copies the methods
of Mussolini in Germany-even to an
organized army of civilians in shirts
a shirt-sleeved praetorian guard.
MusSolini reaches back to the stand
ards of glory of the days of the Caesars:
Hitler to the carly Germanic days when
the Jews were kept down; Dollfuss seeks
to go back to the spiritual standards Of
the early Christian civilizations.
Chang HSueh-liang, the young Chi
nese war lord whom the japanese drove
out Of Manchur!a, recently left Italy for
England, after more than a year in
Rome. He still holds the lease on one
of the grandest villas in Italy. in which
he installed a collection of beautiful
conCubineS and some 20 motor cars.
He spent his time studying the methods
of MuSSolini
Chang Hsuenliang is only awaiting
the call to come back from Elba. He
expects that Chang Kai-shek. the reign
ing war lord. Will blow up before very
long-on account of his suspected Jap
anese affiliations Chang Kai-shek
however, has also sent commissioners
to study II DuceS methods.
Influence World Wide.
President Roosevelt has obviously
taken over many IDEAS from Mussolini's
corporate State."
1t is not 100 much to say. therefore.
that II Duce is the spiritual father of
the new world conditions
MuSsolini's methods apply to spiritual
conditions in China, Austria, Italy and
Germany, hut not to the United States.
The whole psychology of Mussolini's
reign in Italy has been a refusal to
allow the Italians longer to wear sack
cloth and ashes. Everything he has
done has been directed toward uplift-
ing pride and prestige. In this he has
been completely successful. Not only
has Italy's self-confldence been restored
but the Italians have even dropped the
staggering arrogance that is the surest
sign OF faint heart. Italy has found
herself
Much of Mussolinis genius shows it
self in the way he has placed commerce
and industry in sort of military ma
chine. Military CONSUMPTION is an in
tegral part of his plan. His war prep
aratlonS are part Of his industrial
plan. His industrial plan is a part
Of Italys military machinery That is
velt can never get very far along the
MuSSolini plan.
For instance, Italian ships are captur-
ing the passenger traffic of the world
MuSsolinl has combined all Italian ship
ping interests in one big shipping trust
able to balance losses in the Atlantic
trade by profits in the Pacific. And all
the magnificent new ships under the
Italian flag, like the record breaking
Rex, are cruisers in disguise.
The most important war machinery
in the world will be small, st-running
tanks They will be the advance guard
and the cavalry in the next war Mus
sollnl, as with the ships, keeps his war
tank-making machinery earning money
in peace time. The Fiat motor car
factory is running full time and has a
great measure of prosperity because of
SoOO-selllng like lemonade at a circus.
The rival Lancia company wanted to
put out just such a small car in rivalry
II Duce forbade it on the ground it
would be disastrous competition. The
Lancla company finally put out one at
about $1,000. These companies will
make the small war tanks.
Workers Rights Different.
II Duce rules private business, but
he protects it, The country is union
lied up to the nose, but not in the
Rooseveltian manner. Every worker in
Italy has sort of property right in his
job. He can't be discharged except on
conditions expensive to the corporation
one months pay for every year he
has worked in that employment.
In some cases this has been carried
to absurd lengths. An American news
paper, through its Italian branch, had
been buying photographs from time to
time from photographer employed on
one OF the Rome newspapers. When it
was decided to discontinue the service,
the Labor Court intervened and forbade
1t. In another case the Rome agencies
of several foreign papers were not al
lowed to discontinue the services of a
press agent at the Vatican.
Every newspaper in Italy is absolute
ly controlled by the government, both
as to editorial policies and news con-
tent. Mussolini himself owns a profit
able newspaper in Milan.
On the other hand, no such labor
union rebellions as followed President
Roosevelts recognition of the unions
could happen in Italy for 10 years.
Any such proceeding as the coal strikes
in Pennsylvania would be suppressed by
the Fascists at once.
Military training in Italy begins with
boys of 8. They are organized into
companies, wear uniforms and are given
physical training under supervision of
army officers. At IL they go into an
other division of military training
with another uniform.
At 18 they go into the junior Fascist,
where they spend two years in prepara-
ton for the time when they are called
to the colors for their 18 months army
service. AS junior Fascist they wear
CAV and dashing uniforms.
They spend ID months with the colors.
Owing to their previous two years train
Ing In the elementals of drill and han
ding guns, the kindergarten stuff can
be ignored and their entire attention
given to intensive graduate war work
As military device this would