Nov. 1.
Wen King Victor Emanuel refused to sign the order for martial law against the Fascisti rising, he committed an unconstitutional act, but he saved his kingship and not improbably the kingdom. 'The Fascisti revolution, for it is nothing less, is without parallel that can easily be recalled. The world has grown wary of accepting ''bloodless revolutions' at face value,. and the Fascisti have not arrived, at their present power without tombstones to mark the road. None the less the epithet "'peaceful'' appears well deserved. They overthrow nothing but what the majority of pat-viatic Italians appear to be quite agreed is not worth bolstering up. Their very name, derived from the word fascio, a bundle, that which is closely bound together, denotes the national unity of their aims. Composed of men in the prime of ' life, old soldiers, they banded themselves together to fight communism and anarchy, and in the words of their leader at the Naples conference, their policy is to maintain the monarchy, safeguard free institutions, honour the army and enhance the greatness of Italy. Signor Mussolini's greeting- to the crowds in Rome, us, you will not have a Ministry but a Government," is ithe interpretation of the past, if not necessarily a safe guide to the future. The Fascisti grew weary of Ministerial compromises. and conferences. So they rose against the Facta Cabinet and not only overthrow it, but made it impossible for any of the older leaders to form a new one.
The new Premier began life as a Socialist. But the ways of Italian Socialism, at no time particularly attractive, sickened him during the war. He left Partiament for the army. Later he was closely associated with that extraordinary character, Gabriele
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.