Evening star., 1943-06-19
The Porty. Takes Over

The Purty. Takes Over
Recent press reports from Europe
indicate current developments in
Italy which, should they continue,
may play an important part in Italy's
ability to withstand invasion. A
general housecleaning seems to be
taking place within the Fascist re-
gime, with the most ruthless and
fanatical spirits in the party seeking
to take control over everything and
everybody, including Mussolini him
self 1t remains to be seen whether
this eleventh-hour shift will gall
vanize the nations tagging energy
and morale to renewed efforts
against the blows dealt by the Allies.
The movement of Fascist renova-
ton began some months ago, when
Mussolini recalled to heightened au-
thority old "stalwarts" of Fascism's
early days, single minded zealots
who stuck at nothing but got results.
In the lush days which followed
Fascism's triumph, many of these
uncompromiSing characters were
sidetracked or honorably retired in
favor of more personable and more
amenable leaders. Unlike Hitler,
Mussolini is not a genuine fanatic.
He is more the historic Italian type
of condottiere, the clever adventurer
who, when he has "'arrived," tends to
subordinate the cause" which
brought him there to personal ag-
grandizement and enjoyment. Mus
Solini's favoritism and nepotism are
notorious, while the Fascist regime
has never compared with that OF the
Nazis in efficiency and discipline.
Indeed, as time went on, Fascist
laxness, laundering and corruption
have become more and more evident.
Much of the popular discomfort in
Italy today is due, less to theological
opposition to Fascism than to disgust
and anger at it's vices and shortcom-
ingS.
Mussolini undoubtedly realized
that something drastic had to be
done if an ultimate collapse OF both
Fascism and the Italian State was to
be averted. So the old guard was
called in and instructed to start a
purge of the party and the admin
istration in the toughminded spirit
of the old club and d-castor- days.
This old guard is typifled by Carlo
Scorza, hard boiled as they make
them, who was given the key post OF
party secretary, the same job which
Joseph Stain long held in the Rus
sian Communist hierarchy. Mus
solini presumably intended that the
purge should be conducted according
to his directions, but the ailing Duce's
grip is not what it once was, and the
external peril grows more acute. So
Scorza and his fellow zealots seem to
be proceeding with scant regard for
any one. ScorZa is the dynamic in a
body known as the Fascist Directo-
rate, which is issuing a series OF
drastic orders concerning the home
front, seemingly on its own initiative.
Those orders, hitting at black mar
kets, furthering total mobilization,
and cracking down on official laM-
ties, are signed, not by II Duce, but
by Scorza as party secretary "in the
name OF the Fascist Directorate"
Indeed, Scorza is extending his &C
tivities to the diplomatic field. Early
this week a communique from party
headquarters announced that the
party secretary interrupted his
other work" to receive the ambas-
sadors to the Quirinal of Spain and
Japan. Both audiences were fairly
long and dealt with affairs Of mu-
tual interest" to the governments
concerned. Normally. ambassadors
would confer with the Italian For
eign Minister. Never before have
they dealt directly and officially with
a party leader as such. This start
ling precedent strengthens rumors
that the Fascist Directorate Is in
process of exercising temporary"
powers of dictatorial scope, with the
Duce effectively relegated to the
background.
Such a development would be a
logical result of Italys desperate
plight. The Fascist stalWartS know
that, for them, defeat spells extinc-
ton. So they will doubtless fight to
the last, with all the ruthless energy
that Is in them. How far they can
.all,r THAR uar-mearu and diSilll=