Detroit evening times., 1943-08-09
Italy Poses
Tough Task
After War
Toward Democracy
Not Smooth There
BY PAUL MALL0N

DEOPLE in this country, in
their war fervor for world
democracy do not understand
what they are getting in Italy
and will later get in France and
Germany.
We look at Europe through
our eyes, not AS Europe sees
itself and as Europe is. The
mistake is common not only to
the man in the street but 10
our commentators and even our
statesmen.
We all seem 10 think that all
we have 10 do is TO toss out
MuSSolini and Hitler and "re-
lease" Italy. France and Ger
many for democracy.
As we can now see i'm Italy.
there has been no democracy of
our type not only during the
last u years of the Mussolini
regime, but even before. We
think all we have TO do is TO
let Italy 60 back to the pre-
MuSSolini era before 1922.
RUT Italy then was ruled by
~ a combination of peculiar
political parties. In the cham
Der Of deputies there were
about $50 votes for the govern
ment contributed by the Cath
olic party, viii ch was the
strongest. democratic-liberal
party Of the center tneither
radical nor conservative and
a variety Of other groups, in
cluding the radical party, the
agrarians. etc.
No party had majority, and
the controlling combination
floundered miserably in the face
Of strong opposition from the
Socialists and Communists and
even the Syndicalists.
Names, of course. were as
foolish and inaccurate as they
are in this country now, and
perhaps more so.
The truth is that whatever
you call them-Socialists. Com
unists. Syndicalists, or what
the disruptive elements of civil
lied life as we know il were
running loose. Revolutionaries
of all hues were on the march.
NOW put yourself In the po-
sition of the average sensible
Italian today. For the past 20
years his life, mind and soul has
been corrupted by Fascist ideals
which now are shattered or
about to be shattered. He is
sick, physically and spiritually.
He is weary from war and his
prime thoughts are apt TO be-
not what kind of world would
be grand. but where tomorrow's
bread is to come from. where
he can get a place TO sleep, how
he can get money for himself
and family.
The beauties OF an ideal state
pictured by our poetic states
men whether Mr.. Wallace, Mr..
Willkie or who) never have
entered his head at anv time
OF his life since the cradle. He
does not think our way.
WHAT we are unleashing in
w Italy and. indeed, all Eu-
rope, therefore, is a wholly
demoralized and thoroughly cor
rupted civilization which GER
tainly is going TO be a tough
proposition for Messrs. Roose-
welt and Churchill TO work with.
Consequently, you get such
phenomena as Mussolini cas-
ing himself out in favor of the
king and Badoglio, and you may
get even greater political sur
prises before you are finished.
Certainly we can now see
and must realize that Roosevelt
and Churchill have no political
among Italians
and that the only remnants of
political organization left from
the pre-Mussolini era are some
thing which can be accurately
called "the disruptive elements
Of civilized life" if you do not
wish 10 call them by their in
accurate names.
WHAT 10 do? Certainly the
W first thing 10 do is for us 10
get out of the realm of poetic
craftsmanship and realize it is
going 10 take a long time TO
get a satisfactory, neighborly,
sensible government of Italy.
Surely also. these facts mean
there must be military occupa-
ton, not only of Italy, but of
France and Germany as well.
There are large numbers of
people in Italy and elsewhere
who want TO live sensibly and
decently in accordance with the
laws Of Christian justice and
neighborliness as we do. but
these are not the type of people
who become political agitators
as general rule. They are
the calmer element.
Possibly the best thing we