Evening star., 1942-05-18

stocks of war-essential raw materials
iron, copper and other metals as
we'll as oil, rubber and some textiles
Italy has had to pay with great
quantities Of homegrown food to
get these materials from Germany.
Fruits. vegetables and canned
goods, once plentiful, are scarce.
Even in good years Italy must i'm
port wheat to meet her neeos, but
now Greece and Dalmatia look to
her for some of their food. That
explains. in part. why the Italians
bread ration was cut one-fourth
last March, leaving them q daily
allotment Of three dark-gray l.
ounce rolls.
Along with this, a Black Market
has flourished for those Italians
who can afford such prices as $216
for a dozen eggs, 81 for a pound OF
chicken or butter, s25 for pound of
tea or a ham.
These are only for the rich and
Fascist party racketeers and OBJ
servers report widespread bitter re-
sentiment. Even Mussolini's at
tempts to check the scandal have
had little effect.
Experts Study Problem.
The high cost OF living is the
nightmare OF the Fascist war econ
omy and Mussolini recently has
been mainly concerned with a des-
perate attempt to halt imitation.
Since his warning April 26 that
the lira would be maintained with
good means If possible, with force if
necessary, to prevent at any cost,
first, the depreciation Of the money
and, finally, its complete cancella-
tion," II Duce's experts have con-
centrated on the problem.
Months ago Italians started
rush to buy everything from shoes
to diamonds because they lacked
faith in the stability of the lira's
buying power. Millions were spent
on jewery alone and Mussolini de-
nounced those "thoughtless. hys-
terical persons who are
rushing to buy the widest range OF
things from old daubs by unknown
house painters to every kind Of
vase"
The government is trying to suck
the national income into its treas
ury by discouraging investments in
real estate, securities and luxury
goods. by controlling prices and ra-
tioning consumers goods
The enormous war cost is plung-
ing S.aly into debt at an estimated
rate Of 10000 900, 900 lire year or,
normally, more than 5000 ,0OO, 900.
Other Forms Of Borrowing.
Two yearly loans combined yield
ed less than half the national budg-
etary deficit, so the government
resorted to other forms of borrow
ing; for instance, ordering employ
ers to deposit certain reserves and
then converting these funds into
government bonds.
Despite the governments efforts
to drain of excess purchasing
power. however. past months have
witnessed a new upsweep of almost
all prices except those of a few
pegged articles. AS a result, further
measures are enforced to check this
imitation, which is real even though
1t has not yet reached the bank
note printing press stage.
For the currency situation, as for
almost everything else, the Italians
have a joke:
A man in q food store asks the
price Of figs.
"One fig. one lira," the shopkeeper
tells him.
What" exclaims the customer,
"a fig isn't worth a lra?"
You mean" the dealer replies, "a
lira isn't worth fig"
Italian respect for the Duce Of
Fascism has dropped with the as
cendancy Of Nazi influence. The
customary cheers for him are said
to have grown half-hearted and he
shows signs of ill-temper in
his rare speeches.
Regime Probably Secure.
But, with no organized opposi-
ton, his regime probably is secure.
Although the Italians dissatisfac-
ton with both Fascism and Musso-
lini is more marked than ever, their
attitude is marked more by resig-
nation than by resolve to make a
change.
King Victor Emmanuel, although
still generally esteemed, is widely
viewed as politically impotent, and
Crown Prince Umberto, once the
anti-Fascists' white hope, now COM
mands an army group and seems to
have made his peace with the Fas-
cists.
In the view of many, rebellion is
likely to come only If it is reason
ably sure of success with the aid OF
the army, which now remains loyal
to the Royal House of Savoy, and
possible military support Of the
United Nations.