The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-24
On the
World Front
BY HARRY CANNES
RevOlts in Italy
A Letter to MussOlini
French Banks in Manchuria

Il
A HUGE financial crisis il
"A not the only factor threat
ening Italian Fascism. Symp-
toms of a widespread anti
fascist upsurge in Italy have
been reported from that coun-
try for some time now, and
the latest news sent out
through torturous underground
channels shows that the masses
are resisting Mussolinis latest open
attempt to drive still lower their
standards of living.
Not long ago Mussolini quite
brazenly announced, in the face Of
a heavy deficit, that the Italian
masses would have to pay by
greater sufferings and privations,
ttYVE must rid our minds, how
W ever, of the idea that what
we have called days of prosperity
may speedily return. We are
probably moving toward a period
of humanity reposing on lower
standard Of life. We must not
be alarmed by this prospect.
Present-day humanity is very
strong and is capable of asceti-
cism such as we perhaps have no
conception Of"
But the Italian workers and
peasants are beginning to resist
h,eroically against Mussolini's de-
cree of starvation intended to save
italian capitalism.
CTILL more. The momentous
y anti-fascist struggles in Ger
many and throughout the world
will spur the Italian masses to
greater action.
Here are some indications Of
what is going on now in Italy, An
italian worker in Pratola Peligna
writes to a friend in the United
States, as follows:
Last evening the population
started revolt in the streets. 1t
looked as if we were going back to
the year 1913! There are, up to
this morning eight dead and about
40 wounded. About 200 men and
women were arrested. The first
to be killed was Lorenzo Riccitelli
and man from Senibaldo, related
to Cosinillo Dazzone. The IS
year-old daughter of Giuseppe di
Fabio was shot in the head by a
shotgun bullet. She died instantly.
A boy, six years old, was also fired
on and killed on the spoil don't
know the names of the other VIC
tins.
This revolt was directed against
the heavy taxes inflicted by Musso-
lini on the poor people who can
not pay. The mess is not over. All
Pratola is surrounded by armed
police. They are afraid that some
thing else may occur. The popula-
ton is enraged and wants to take
revenge on the fascists. The doors
and windows of the City Hall are
smashed. as well as other public
buildings"
YOU can scan all the United Press
and Associated Press stories
from Italy and not find a word of
these facts, again proving that
these capitalist news agencies write
only what pleases Mussolini.
A whole series of revolts have
been spreading through Sicily.
Trains are reported to have been
stopped at Reggie Calabria by the
rebels, At MOTTO (sicily) workers
attacked the convent of San Cor
RADIO, to express their hatred
against the fascists and the church
which supports these oppressors.
When Commissioner of Police
Carta arrived on the scenes, the
workers opened fire on him and
wounded him in the arm.
AT Rignano Flaminio. a village
n near Rome, the peasants re-
VOTED against the new land tax.
Fascist forces interviewed, and a
severe battle followed.
Communists in the Fascist dun
geons, especially at Civitavecchia,
have raised a protest against their
brutal treatment and tortureS. AT
Civitavecchia dozens of prisoners
went on a hunger strike, and the
Fascists resorted to forcible feed
ing. A Swiss worker, Hofmayer,
condemned to Is years imprison-
ment in a fascist prison by the
Special Tribunal, had his front
teeth knocked out, when he refused
to be fed forcibly.
THE young Communist, Emilio
L SERENA, who in 1881 was SEN
fenced to Is years imprisonment
for anti-fascist activity, recently
refused a pardon offered him by
Mussolini. He was required, in or
der to gain his freedom, to write
a personal letter to Mussolini.
Comrade Serenia refused.
He declared that if fascism
awaited from him sign of re-
pentance, it would have to wait
forever.
THE Osaka Mainichi, organ of the
i big Japanese trusts, report that
French imperialism is contemplate
ing heavy investments in Manchu-
kuo. A story by the Mainichis
staff correspondent in Dairen
states that the Banque Franco
Indo- Chine and the Banque de
Paris ct des Pays-Bas have made
arrangements for investments in
this Japanese colonial enterprise on
the border of the Soviet Union.