Gag-Law

It was said of a Roman conqueror: "He makes solitude and calls it--peace. "Mussolini creates silence and calls it consent. The Cabinet forbade the publication of "news of a false or biased character calculated to hamper the Government in its diplomatic relations or damage national credit at home or abroad; articles, headlines or illustrations calculated to excite class hatred or affect discipline in public services, or favor the interests of foreigners, as against Italians, or likely to give offense to the fatherland, the King, the Pope, religious institutions and the powers of the State or friendly Powers."

Police prefects have power to suspend or suppress newspapers. Neither Senators nor Deputies may act as newspaper editors without Parliamentary authorization because they would enjoy immunity from prosecution.

An issue of the Naples ABC was ordered sequestered for a cartoon offensive to the French Embassy.

The Corriere Biellese has been suspended for "unfair criticism of the Mussolini Government."

Forty thousand copies of the Corriere della Sera of Milan were burned at Parma by Fascisti.