Mussolini as revealed in his political speeches (November 1914-August 1923)Mussolini, Benito
History
Mussolini as revealed in his political speeches (November 1914-August 1923)
Mussolini, Benito
Fascism -- Italy; Italy -- Politics and government -- 1914-1945; Mussolini, Benito, 1883-1945; Partito nazionale fascista (Italy)
“Courage lies in proclaiming that the purely political revolution, which
inflames the people’s minds, would not solve the social problem, the
solution of which has been precipitated and rendered essential by the
war.”
“Courage lies in repeating untiringly to the masses that the revolution
which must be brought about must be economic, and that it is not to be
brought about in the streets by a delirious crowd destroying for the
sake of destruction.”
“Courage lies in saying that an economic revolution draws its substance
from labour, and that it is strengthened, advanced, and carried out by
the intensification of production whether in the fields or in the
factories, and by a further utilisation of scientific processes and
methods of production.”
_The Italian Situation._ We agree upon a third point, in connection with
existing circumstances, that is in maintaining that our national
situation is critical, though far from being desperate. Briefly, it is
this. From the 1st July we have been defaulting debtors of England.
Since the 31st July other financial agreements with the United States
must be faced. To save the situation a loan of one milliard dollars
(seven to eight milliard lire) must be arranged. The railways have a
coal supply for only fifteen more days. There are enough provisions for
another twenty days, that is to say until the end of the month. Two
million tons of food must be imported to save us from immediate hunger.
But these financial and economic agreements depend upon the political
ones at Paris.
The possibility, almost a certainty, has presented itself to us of
obtaining large concessions in Asia Minor, with the coal mines of
Heraclea. Clémenceau has made difficulties about it, but Lansing told
him that he could not see any obstacle, given that Italy approved of the
exploitation of the Saar mines on the part of France. We may also obtain
oil wells in Armenia.
But these acquisitions in the East are in their turn subordinate to the
Adriatic agreements. The solution of the problem of Fiume is already
compromised by the work of the preceding Delegation, which had already
accepted the principle of a Free State. But the project of Tardieu
presented future dangers as far as the safeguarding of the Italian
character of Fiume is concerned, because the Italian majority in the
city would be overwhelmed by the mass of Slavs in the country. It is a
question, then, of reducing these dangers to the smallest possible
limits by the introduction of another plan which would substitute for
the idea of a Free State that of a Free City with limited boundaries.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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