Monday, Feb. 01, 1926

Fascismo Trionfante

Signer Maffi, leader of the minute Communist Opposition in the Italian Chamber, flayed the Locarno Pacts when they were presented for ratification last week: "To the false democracy of bourgeois governments which met at Locarno, we Communists oppose the desire for peace of Soviet Russia, which is the only country in the world willing and ready to discuss the question of disarmament. . . . I laugh with those who laugh at Locarno!" While Signor Maffii "laughed," the Chamber ratified the Pacts by a solid Fascist vote, with the Aventine Opposition absent (TIME, Jan. 25) and only two Communists daring to vote contra-Locarno.

At Manhattan famed financiers Thomas W. Lament and Otto H. Kahn spoke before the Foreign Policy Association in praise of the Fascist regime.

Mr. Lamont began by recalling that since the advent of Fascismo unemployment has been wiped out in Italy, the floating debt reduced and the budget balanced. He concluded:

"All we know is that other European Governments have accomplished no such record. Inflation has been completely eliminated and the life of the common people has been enormously improved. That the people of Italy are behind their Government can, I think, be best shown by the manner in which they approved the terms for the settlement of Italy's debt with the United States."

Mr. Kahn:

"To anyone who knew Italy in the years immediately following the War, the change which came over the country with the advent of Mussolini is little short of miraculous. He did not promise or give advantage to any one class. He called upon and demanded of all classes that they work together for the good of the nation. He is neither a demagog nor a reactionary. He is a patriotic realist."

P: Dr. William Y. Elliott, lecturer on Government at Harvard, flayed Fascismo before the same gathering: "The liberty so zealously maintained by this Government in its Bill of Rights has been wiped out by Italy, and Fascism has spread over Europe as far as China. . . .

"Fascism is merely an organized body of armed thugs who will remain in control until the public arises. It is put forth, as all dictatorships are put forth, as a case of the means justifying the end. . . .

"Fascism is maintained by violence and ultimately will be met by counter violence, but not while Mussolini retains his power. Liberty is the preservation of minority criticism. This has been eliminated." Many Italians in the Southern Tyrol have Austrian names. Last week King Vittorio Emanuele signed a Cabinet decree ordering all families in the Tyrolese province of Trento to adopt a strictly Italian spelling of their names, even though the offending syllables might have to be completely translated. Il Benito had taken care to see that fines up to 25,000 lire ($1,000) were provided for nonobservance of the decree.