Evening star., 1943-12-19
Neo-Fascist Leader
Asks Purge Of 10000
In Northern Italy
BY PAUL GHALI,
Foreign Correspondent of The Star and
Chicago Daily News.

Chicago Daily News.
BERN, Dec. ia purge of 10000
"undesirables" to combat active and
passive resistance to Northern
Italy'S puppet regime is being urged
In a press campaign inspired by
Roberto Farinacci, Minister of State
in the Fascist-Republican govern
ment.
That number of opponents must
be put out of circulation, it is
claimed, in order to restore order
in neo-FasciSt" Italy Five cate
gorles are the targets of Fascist ire :
Traitors, obviously those who do not
see eye to eye with Farinacci; Jews,
F'reemasons, capitalists and de
generate bourgeois"
Women who spread defeatism are
castigated in a whole column in the
newspaper offensive.
Purge Called Humanitarian"
II Fascio, Milan party organ, which
despite the paper shortage carries a
two-column blacklist of those to be
eliminated first, heads this human
itarian" campaign.
Publication of their names in a
newspaper usually is followed by the
flight of those threatened, but this
time. unfortunately, means are not
available to all of those blacklisted.
II Fascio also bitterly criticizes the
lack OF energy on the part of the
Fascist Republican authorities Re-
calling the recent blood bath of Fer
raro this sheet urges the authorities
to "Ferrarize" all regions housing
-FasciStS-radical methods being
the only efficacious ones.
Apparently the clergy is to be the
other Scapegoat of Fascist eXtrem-
ism. In Milan alone 80 priests are
under arrest. Two prelates at Pia-
cenZa have been sentenced to death
for no other crime than holding
anti-Fascist views. The Vatican is
reported to have intervened with
the German government to COM
mute the sentence of the two prel-
ates and to obtain the liberation of
the other priests arrested.
Two Feared Shot.
The Vatican pointed out that the
clergy were members of a neutral
state, according to report. The
German authorities simply referred
the Vatican to the Fascist Repub-
lican government. 1t is feared that
the two prelates have been shot,
since the Venice government has not
been recognized by the Holy See.
With Fascist anger against the
Holy See reaching the boiling point,
Vatican circles have tried to smooth
the waters by pointing out that the
Vatican took no part in the Italian
armistice, even though it may have
played q role in the Mussolini COL
lapse. But the FaSciSts do not seem
convinced.
Meanwhile army enrolment in
Northern Italy is SO unresponsive
that the families of youths refusing
to join up are paying with blood.
Fathers of recalcitrant sons are be-
ing shot, and in Milan 200 parents
already have paid the supreme pen
atty.
Army Enrolment Low.
Army enrolment continues a sad
disappointment to the new regime,
despite all propaganda to the con-
trary coming out of both Venice and
Munich These reliable figures speak
for themselves:
Up to December 10 the total of
new recruits was 10000 for the whole
of Nazi-occupied Italy with a popu-
lation of well over 3O,O0O,0OO. Ac-
cording to the latest news, from
across the border, the total member
ship of the neo-Fascist party is
l92,575. In its heyday the Fascist
party claimed more than 1000 900
members.