The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-11-18

Possibility that Italian war vet erans of Waterbury might refuse tt join any opposition to the establish ment of e pro-Nazl camp in South bury arose today when Angelo Pos. senate, national adjutant of thl Italian World War Veterans of thu United States, issued statement in which he hints that veteran, should not oppose the camp.
 Those who favor the camp, say' Mir. Possemato, may be compared with Italian Americans who give tht fascist salute when they hear tht Italian anthem. Yet, he says, they are loyal Americans; 1t is 0 salute to the land of their birth.
 MT. Possemato's statement fol- lows:
 WheretO Are We Drifting
 Although many veterans have been asked to make e statement in the matter of the recent pur- chase of a tract of land in South- bury of a so-called pro-Nazi or- ganization I wonder how many of us in all seriousness fear the invasion of such a group as propa- ganda against the American form of government, and others fear 1t, because with fascism or Nazism 1t would be the elimination of capitalism.
 AS one who has found himself in m any gatherings throughout this state of Connecticut, gather- ings mostly composed of Italian- Americans, I have heard the strains of "Giovinezza" many times, and that many times have seen the gathering respond with the famous fascist salute. In con- versation with many of those same men I have found that they even in that impulslve moment they were not opposed to our form of government, but were saluting the land of their birth, the land of their childhood, the land made great by their hero, Benito Mus- solini. Fascism in America But whyl They were working, have a nice home. No! America is America. The same prevails among the German Americans no doubt, but we who know them, know that they are our good neighbors and loyal citizens, sin- cere and loyal Americans.
 America should not fear fascism especially If we remember the greatness of this country. How ever, 1t would be advisable to re- member that If any of the condi- tlons are changed In this country 1t would not come from the so- called "blnd" or fascist group" but 1t would come direct from the masses of the people, for we must agree that where capital fails the masses suffer. For, when the hum of machinery ceases. the fires In the foundries are cold, the stemps in the mills are silent, 1t stops the flow of coal from the mines, of oil from the oil fields, wheat from our middle west, beef from our western plains. The consumer, educated to the American stand ard of living, has been laid of; slowly his meager savings are swept away; he asks for credit from the small business men whom he has patronized in good times which Is granted to him; soon the small business man goes to the banker for loans to carry his business until conditions im- prove, which of course is denied him due to poor security which compels him to close his door. The consumer sees gathered around him the family Of which he was so proud, the wife who has been faithful to him hungry. pleading. with hollow cheeks for food, food in this land of plenty, food, clothing, coal. all of which his family needs. Food, when in the underground vaults of Fort Knox there is thirteen billion dollars in gold.
 He is not the only one; there are thousands: they forget every thing else about what they en- Joyed and only remember that they are being deprived of the necessities of fife. Any leader who will promise them q relief will find followers. . hero of the masses who will give them food, whether by imitation, rediStribu- ton of wealth. new party. new