The Washington times., 1935-08-28
STIRRED
ITALY, TO WAR
ON AUSTRIA

Wv VIZ uuNS
In this the third of d series,
distinguished student Of foreign
affairs continues the dramatic
true life story OF BeHtto Mus
solini, modern Caesar.
BY ]. C. OESTREICHER
Foreign Editor, international
News Service
(CopyriEht, 1885, By International
News Serviee)
For fifty years prior to. August,
1914, Italy had seethed with pop
ular unrest. It was a passive up
rising directed not particularly
against the monarchy or even the
parliamentary system which had
proved a definite failure, but
against the entire ''laiSsez-faire"
scheme of government which left
vast sections Of the people dis
satisfied with their lot in life.
For ten years Of these two
decades and q half, Benito Mus
solini, together with his colleagues
among the Socialists, had called
upon the people by word Of mouth
and the printed page to rise and
express forcibly their loss Of pa
thence with a regime that allowed
things to slide.
The complaints were mu1titu-
dinous. Huge northern provinces
were held under the thrall OF
Hapsburg's double eagle. The
house Of Austria, with its CEN
turtles old motto: "Divide and
Rule" attempted to make Of Trent
and Fiume and Trieste integral
parts Of the Dual Empire. The
mutteringS Of an Italian-born pop
ulace, weaned away from their
king and empire by sheer force,
went unheeded.
Farmers Protest Taxes
In the agrarian regions, the
farmers rallied against taxation,
the oppression Of the paid mill.
tary. and the alleged laxnesS Of
an elected parliament. In the
industrial areas, strikes and dis
orders were frequent. The situa-
tion was shaping for climax
It came, in, the form OF an
aborttve revolution, in August,
1914. In Milan. Turin and Bo-
logna, and to some extent in Flor
ence and Rome, the workers
launched a prolonged general
strike. In the revolutionary
areas''-Ancona, Rimini, ForH,
Rsvenna and the other cities
where Mussolini and his colleagues
had long preached the doctrine Of
Socialism, it took q more violent
form. Garrisons were raided and
troops diSarmed; farms burnt,
churches sacked and military and
civil authorities seized as hos
tageS.
MussOlini Asks Truce
Mussolini, then editor Of Avanti
and spokesman for the Socialist
party in the nation, called for a
truce. He saw on the horizon q
more menacing rebeIlon-the re-
volt Of all Europe against the dove
Of peace-and could vision no last.
ing success from the insurrection
in italy itself. Perhaps not alone
ct his bidding, the workers none
thelesS called off the strike, and
with resumption Of work the up
rising collapsed.
At the same moment, the fate
full shot was fired at sarajevo.
Socialist and other thoughts
turned inStantaneouSly from un.
rest at home to the greater, more
perilouS unrest aboard. A move
ment was launched immediately
for italian neutrality. In the gov
eminent, its spearhead. was Signor
Ferdinando Martini of the Coun-
Gil Of Ministers. In the press, and
among the people, its champion
was MusSolini. -.
For more than q month he
hewed to this line and the Gov.
eminent proclaimed its neutral
aty. Then the ministers, accord
ing to Mussolini's biographerS,
took themselves off to their sum-
mer holidays.
The ensuing months brought q
sharp change. Belgium was in.
vaded. the Italian people began
to fear for the sanctity Of their
own soil. MuSSolini, as always in
his newspaper columns. presented
Q new front to his Socialist col
leagues:
ut would be absurd to Judge
all wars alike. If n is q question
Of war ON Austria Hungary, the
Socialist party will not oppose
1t. Neutrality to the East Is one
thing; to the West another. The
point at issue Is to complete
italian unity"
This declaration, simple and