The Daily Worker Newspaper, January 26, 1924, Page 12

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Fascism. By Odon Por. (Alfred A. Knopf, New York.) The careful student of current his- tery welcomes every addition to the literature of that modern phenom- enon called Fascism, but unfor- tunately this book is not an addition to that literature. It is the most ab- surd, empty concoction of stupidity published in a decade. One can read it and at the conclusion know abso- lutely nothing about Fascism. There are no explanations of the economic causes of Fascism and not even a narrative of events that took place in the labor movement in Italy in the hectic months immediately preceding the Mussolini coup d'etat. Signor Por says he re-read Machi- avelli’s The Prince and A. E.’s The National Being in order to detach himself from history in the making. His book bears eloquent testimony of the fact that he succeeded admirably in detaching himself -not only from history in the making but from all other history and even plain horse sense. He holds that Machiavelli’s theory of resorting to any means to the end in defending the nationalism of Italy is justifiable and that Mus- solini adopted this policy, which ac- counts for his success. In all the literature of Fascism there is not one single work in the English language that deals with its ecenomic foundation. Some. writers call Fascism a purely. middle ‘class movement, others a new labor move- ment, others purely industrialist, and a few bourgeois historians see in Fascism the solution of all ills aris- ing from the war. Even many Com- munist writers visualize it as purely middle-class. They mistake the mass supporters of Fascism for the eco- nomic basis of it. Fascism in Italy had its origin in the industrialist north and Mussolini was the spokes- man for the heavy industrialists long before there was a Fascist movement. No one has yet written a book show- ing how Mussolini consistently rep- resented the interests of the heavy industrialist capitalists. against ‘the agrarians. It is not a mere accident thet Mussolini played the flunkey of eee oe Speroatectoatp sto’ SASIALSSOSHSOSHSHSSOSSHODOSSSSSASS OS OSSD OEEREE ER EEE Ee RATES: BY MAIL— IN CHICAGO A a te fede bat dndied SUBSCRIPTION 1 year ........ $6.00 3 months....$2.00 BY MAIL— | 3 months....$2.50 STREET:..... BY CARRIER— 1 year _....$10.00 1 month —.$1.00 French and Italian industrialism and that in November, 1914, he started the Popolo d'Italia, the sole aim of which was to endeavor to win the workers and petty bourgeoisie to the side of the industrialists in favor of war against Germany. Odin Por says nothing about the ecenomic and litical forces that brought about the weakening of the government, nothing about the part played by Giolitti in disarming the workers after the evacuation of the factories in September, 1920. There is not one word about the causes of. the temporary unity between Giolit- ti’s agrarians and the industrial fas- cisti after Mussolini had, a few months previously, adopted the slo- gan “execute Giolitti.” Finally he says not one word about the innér contradictions that aré today rending Fascism in Italy; nothing of the con- flict between the agrarian “squad- rons” and the original industrial Fas- cisti. He refrains from telling his readers why Mussolini denounced the use of violence on the eve of seizing power as a matter‘of defense of in- dustrialism against the agrarian squadrons. There still remains the task, for some Marxist, of writing a’ book on the economic foundation of Fascism. Such a book ought te be written for the purpose of clearing up much con- fusion in the movement regarding this phenomenon, Many Cemmunists imagine they see grave symptoms of Fascism in every reactionary move- ment. Such people are superficial ebservers who simply utilize a popu- lar label to stigmatize anything they dislike. Stich a procedure is not sci- entific. Fascism is only possible un- der certain economic and_ political conditions - a real analysis of the rise of Itafian fascism would help toward a correct attitude toward this movement, While Odin Por reveals nothing of Fascism, he does reveal a great deal of himself. He is a guild socialist and proclaims the doctrine that Fas- cism and. guild secialism are per- fectly compatible. He quotes favor- ably a Fascist propagandist who says Spatnahs PoctoeieetpctoeteatnotnsinsteeindtostePostestoetne’, Fascism “can have no prejudice against any of the various parties if it confines itself to the dogma of na- tional welfare.” National welfare in this ease being the welfare of the capitalists of the heavy industries. This self-revelation of Odin Por is valuable for Communists inasmuch as it teaches us that when dealing with opportunists of every variety in the United Front we must relentlessly criticize even the meek and mild guild socialists, for unless they are avowed Communists, accepting the discipline of the Party, they are all potential murderers of the working class. At the critical moment when the work- ing class enters decisive struggles we can always expect’ our liberal labo- rites, yellow socialists and sentimen- tal professors whose hearts ache for the exploited workers, to embrace Fascism or some other form of vicious reaction that tries to throttle every vestige of working class ex- pression. The worst feature of such specimen is that they murder the workin; class. while professing friendship for it. Such people ob- i to 4 1 dictatorship of pro- etariat, but their simple souls em- brace the bloody dictatorship of capi- talist hirelings so long as they are assured that itis in interest of the nation or some other bourgeous entity. , As for the book, Fascism, by Odin When in the FEDERATION BUILDING patronize the CIGAR STAND in the lobby. Federation Cigar Stand 166 W. Washington St. Meet us at the \ Prudential Restaurant 752 NORTH AVE. The only place to eat. TALK IT UP! THE DAILY WORKER is the best privilege of reading. Readers by the hundreds tell us so every day. But there are t WORKER is. Thousands more never heard about us. paper that workers in America have ever had the Tell It to the World! Tell them that THE DAILY WORKER is the only dail man can read. Tell them that THE DAILY WORKER is the interests of the wage-workers. TALK IT UP. TELL THEM HOW GOOD WE ARE AND PROVE IT WITH THIS ISSUE. Get a New Subscriber To-day! : : Tell It to Your Neighbors! Tell It to Your Shop Mates! $ —_— ee ee ee ee | THE DAILY WORKER, 1640 N. HALSTED ST., Chicago, Ill. “EVERY READER A SUBSCRIBER” Enclosed please find Sores | for. to THE DAILY WORKER. NAME : stoemenernominnarerssansnsusnensnanmesssensansesteneasn JeutWtnvinendsbasuthamvegeracisuccbarsetsasecenneresseesoes LS Sp GS OEM CEED ) Y y | Mil RNR bi ss ig ea a aa eee ee ea “EVERY SUBSCRIBER A BOOSTER” PUR WWEOPEOESOECSOOEBE S494 +444 housands who don’t know what THE DAILY months’ subscription PRAT Sie b dy daddy te dndindy dutedateetrdytuddatearn de dt TREASURES ON THE WORKERS’ BOOKSHELF Por, it is a waste of time for any worker to read it: I wasted my time reading it, which ought to suffice for the whole Party. The Coat Presser and 20,000 Russian Clothing | Workers : | Are Building A New Industry In Soviet Russia. They Ask ‘You to Help Them Thru RAIC. pone a $10.00 Makes You a Shareholder. First Dividend Paid to 5,000 Americans. os Workers—Friends of the First Workers Republic You Can Be Effective Supporters of Soviet Russia. Write for Illustrated Booklet on Russian Investments. RUSSLAN-AMERICAN \WONUSTRIRL CORPORATION NOSE. WtH STREET’ “SAEM-VORA & — ' Our Readers Don’t Have to Tell Us We’re Good. We Know It. | y newspaper a red-blooded self-respecting working- the only daily newspaper that fights all the time for e aa a4 4 | | | * : * * * * * 3 * a > 3 A + * * s J = 3 * * & = * © e By ; io : 4 od * bg & e an = £ Fa RES DF 25 OR TUAREINY SE

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