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)
Now, as regards international relations, the position of Fiume is
perfectly clear. D’Annunzio will not move, because everything is in his
favour. What can the plutocratic powers of Western capitalism do against
him? Nothing! Absolutely nothing, because to strive against a _fait
accompli_ would be to let loose a still greater calamity which nobody
thinks of either in France or England. In France—and we can say so with
tranquillity—there is a sacred horror of further bloodshed; and as for
the English, they have made war very well and brilliantly, but now all
their ideas are contrary to any warlike undertakings and any adventures
of even a slightly complicated nature. To-morrow Fiume would be a _fait
accompli_ for everybody, because nobody would have the strength to
modify it. If the Government had been less cowardly, the problem of
Fiume would be settled by now, and the Allies would have had to accept
it.
_The Forces of the Socialist Party._ And now we come to our affairs. We
must keep the Socialist Party within sight. Let us look a little closer
at their forces. They have had lately to number their forces, and 14,000
of its 80,000 members have disappeared. They are the disbanded. As many
as 500 sections were not represented in what they call the Assizes of
the Italian Proletariat. Nothing of very great importance was said or
done during the congress. Bordiga is not a great general. He is only a
little above mediocrity. What he said to the tribune was what I told the
crowd in 1913. Only Turati’s speech was of any real significance. All
the other unlimited speeches did not, in the end, give practical
indications of that which the Socialists wish or ought to do.
Our statements are much more definite than theirs, and we tell you at
once that we must present an ultimatum to the Government, saying that,
if the censor is not abolished, we Fascisti will not take part in the
elections. It is necessary to protest against an enforced censorship
during the period of the elections, otherwise we shall seem to show that
we are ready to accept an arbitrary act. To this we can add another
positive and effective protest. As for the Socialists, the larger part
of them are distinguished by physical cowardice. They do not like
fighting, they do not wish to fight; fire and steel frighten them.
On the other hand, and I want to draw your attention to this, we must
not confuse this creation, which is for the most part artificial, with a
party of which the proletariat is a lowest minority, while those members
abound who want a seat in Parliament, or in the communal councils and in
the organisations. It is really a political clique which wishes to
substitute itself for the ruling clique. We must not confuse this group
of mediocre politicians with the immense movement of the proletariat
which has a reason for its existence, development and brotherhood.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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