Evening star., 1939-05-28
Italy Trains Her Youth
Young Woman, q, Finds Life Is Made
More Interesting by Activity

those girls. That's why, wanted to
keep on working with the G. I. l..
That's why was so happy when I
knew that had qualified for en-
trance into the academy at Orvieto."
One day Dora took us to the
G.. I. L. headquarters in Florence,
which, she said, is like the G. I. L.
headquarters in most of the large
towns in Italy. They are in a
modern building equipped with a
tremendous swimming pool. gym
nasium, library, theater. a large
dormitory for visiting G. I. l.. troops
and medical Offices. One of the aims
of the G. I. L. is to keep medical tab
on every youngster in Italy, she
told us.
AS we entered the building we saw
the motto of the G.. I. L.-"Believe,
Obey, Fight emblazoned in large
bronze letters over the doorway. On
the wall of the main lobby was
written the oath which every boy
and girl member must take. We
couldn't suppress smiles as we read
it-"In the name of God and Italy.
I swear to carry out the orders of
the Duce and to serve with all my
power, and If necessary with my
blood, the cause of the Fascist
Revolution"
Discipline for Genius.
"You smile because you don't un-
derstand," Dora's eyes flashed, de-
fensively.
You don't understand Italy-you
won't understand the Fascist Revo-
lution,' she repeated. Our Duce is
right. He says that for years peo-
pie have come to Italy and admired
it and its treasures as they would
visit beautiful museum, never
once thinking about the janitors,
the custodians and the people who
built the museum and made its
treasures. But, says Duce, the
genius which built this museum
our 1taly-still lives and there is no
reason why it can't go on building
and doing great things, just as it
did IN the past. The genius must
have purpose and discipline though.
Now, you know that Italy is full
OF individualists. We Italians like
nothing better than to criticize. An
Italian always knows he can do a
better job than the other fellow.
He always knows that he could
have discovered America If Colum-
bus hadn't.
That kind of individualism is of
no use unless 1t is disciplined and
guided. That's why we make such
big effort to discipline our people
When they are young. We don't
give them long courses on politics:
that isn't necessary and would be
foolish. We try to teach them
through contact, by conversation,
| by action.
Orderly Citizens Desired.
The G. I. L. wants to train every
boy to be good father, a good citi-
zen, good soldier, man who will
love his country and have pride in
1t, man who will have feelings of
orderllness, responsibility and honor.
Inc u. l. l.. wants to train girls into
women of similar caliber. 1t wants
Italian girls to be good mothers,
wives and sisters of such men"
Dora's sister Elena disagrees; she
represents that individualistic spirit
Dora had been talking about. She
surprised us one day with a bit of
American slang she had picked up.
It's lousy, all this organization
and talk about freeing Italian
Womanhood!" she exploded. why
should the Fascists take the credit?
Life all over the world has changed
and naturally we women are getting
better break. But the credit
should go to the radio, the cinema,
the automobile-oh, heaps of things.
AS individuals our lot hasn't
changed much. We're still women
and Italian women, at that. Italy
is mans country; they have all
the intelligent fun together and
mostly without us. We love to look
upon our men as our lords and
masters; that's our heritage, and
even now, under Fascism, it's our
education and religion.
NO" Elena concluded, "all that
Mussolini and his Fascists have
done for us is to glorify our
natural functions as women, to
produce children-for the Fascist
state, of course"