Evening star., 1943-10-05
BY RICHARD MASSOCK,

Week.)
: BY RICHARD MASSOCK,
Former Chief of Associated Press Bureau
in Rome
Many Italian newspaper readers
are reading only what foreign gov
eminent, that of Nazi Germany
wants them to see
previously they had read only
what their own government saw At
to feed them. except for a few days
OF comparative freedom of speech.
One Monday morning 10 weeks
ago, the people of Rome grabbed off
the newsstandS damp copies of an
extra OF II Messaggero, a leading
newspaper, a copy of which I have
just seen.
1t was a single sheet printed only
on one side, like a poster. 1t had
been rushed out in that form be-
cause of the urgency of the news.
long Live Free italy," read the
banner in box-car letters.
Beneath was the announcement
OF Bento MuSsollnl'S resignation"
as Fascist chief Of the Italian gov
eminent, A brief editorial began "A
regime founded on fraud, on per-
Sonal ambitions and on the suppress.
SION OF the free energies of the en-
tire Italian people has finally
fallen"
Publishers Changed.
sunday mornings paper had
borne the usual line that AleSSandro
Pavollnl, former propaganda min
lister Of MuSSolinis regime, was it's
publisher. The extra carried a line,
L am assuming the direction of II
MeSSaggerO," and this was signed bv
one Pho PerrOne. Overnight the
paper had changed hands because
the government had changed hands. 1
That was how closely the Italian
press was controlled and hamstrune
bg FaSclSm. 1t was so tightly bound
to the regime that newspapers all
over the country had to change
handS overnight. II MeSSaegero's
staff was reputed to be the least
Fascist Of the Rome papers but. the
government had to fall before it
could get rid of its Fascist publisher
hlu cndllSe lIS pOlCY.
Strict government control of the
press had existed for II years. since
1926, when the projects, or provln-
c1al governors. were empowered bv
royal decree to SequeSter an Offend .
ing newspaper and. if the offenSe
was repeated, suspend or suppress
1T. Pro-FascistS, meanwhile. gained
nf
newspapers.
Some Editors Beaten.
Within a short time MuSsollni was
able to call the press his "orchestra. ." .
Some recalCitr8nt editors were beat
en- up-one, whose family knew, so
badly that he died of the effects.
Until last July 25, therefore, the
press was in servile collaboration
with the government. Mussolini
called the tunes for his "orchestra," ," .
using it to eXtol his policies. glorifv
his person and print hymns of hate
against his enemies
The constant flattery of Fascism.
the dlatribes against democracy and
the monOtonOuS variations on the
theme of the day as expressed bv
Mussolini undoubtedly influenced
many Italians. But the thinking
section Of the public found the stand
ardlzation Of news and editorials.
all restricted to the authorized YER
slonS from the official fount, to be
dull and devoid of mental nourish-
ment. Those who could read them
bought the papers of other coun-
tries, particularly those Of SWitZer-
land, for a balanced diet of news
and comment.
Censorship was severe. It was
imposed through daily mimeo-
graphed directives from the propa-
ganda ministry, called in later years
the ministry of popular culture
These circulars told the editors what
they could print of the days news,
what they must not mention and
now they must comment.
Some News Suppressed.
Some news was suppressed en-
tirely, as was that of Queen Wilhel-
mlnaS appeal to King Victor EN-
manuel to use his influence" with
Germany in Hollands behalf when
Italy was nonbelligerent
From the outset of the war, publi-
cation Of any communicates but the
German, and later the Italian, was
prohibited. /
other news was distorted. as when
pertinent passages of speeches bv
foreign statesmen were suppressed
II they were critical of Fascist poll
cieS
No criticism Of the government.
OF FaSclsm, of Mussolini or anv of
his officials was tolerated.
Following the instructions of the
government to the letter, the news
papers were only its voice. never
that of the people. They could
never express the popular will if it
varied from that of the government.
nor call for a correction of unsatis-
factory conditions, nor even give the
pubic a fair report of the worlds
news to foster its own thinking. No.
body could express himself on the
country's economics or politics in
letter columns.
After Italy entered the war, much
OF the press dlrectives came from
Berlin. Now. in the part of Italy
occupied by the Germans, the news
papers are presumably under Nazi
control completely. And most Ital-
ianS are less informed, more misin-
formed, than ever.
Dr. Pozoz TO Address