CORRESPONDENCE To the Editor of the EDINBURGH REVIEW. May I concisely correct some of the assertions of Signor Villari in his article on " The Origins and Spirit of Fascism" in the January issue of your valuable review? On p. 65 he speaks of Don Luigi Sturzo, the leader of the Partito Popolare as having adopted an attitude little less seditious than Bolshevism. Signor Villari is invited to say in what speech or publication of Don Luigo Sturzo there is the slightest shadow of Bolshevism, whether in ideas, or proposed reforms, or methods for their realisation. Don Sturzo, in England, would appear as a rather old-fashioned Radical. His ideas are summarised in his book, " Italy and Fascismo." On p. 74, Signor Villari says that "The Italy of to-day is undoubtedly more prosperous and efficient than was the Italy of the preFascist or the pre-war era." I have under my eyes not merely all the · relevant figures of Professor Mortara's "Prospettive Economiche" in all their issues and many official books of statistics, including the latest published in February, and I must say all data are most emphatically contradictory of Signor Villari's assertion. Statistics of savings show a most marked reduction from 1922 to 1926; declared bankruptcies, from 850-641 during the period 1917-20, rose to 7874 in 1926. One of the most significant symptoms of increased poverty in the working classes and lower middle classes is most surely the increase of the value of items pawned at the Monte di Pietà, from 53 million lire in 1919 and 176 million lire in 1922 to 336,600,000 in 1926. The Index Numbers referring to wholesale prices, especially of foodstuffs, and to the cost of living tell the same story; there is a decided step for the worse from 1922 onwards, with only a slight sign of improvement towards the end of 1926, an improvement obviously due to causes working also in other countries than Italy and more elsewhere than in Italy. Both the League of Nations Bulletin as well as Italian official statistics summarised in Mortara's "Prospettive Economiche" for 1927, testify to an undoubted reduction of real wages, both of industrial as well as rural workers, since 1920, and especially during 1925-26. The standard of 1913, except for small exceptionally privileged groups, has not yet been re-established. Figures, therefore, prove most certainly that, in many things, post-war Italy, especially up to 1922, has progressed beyond 1914; but in regard to progress after 1922 the data already quoted and many others taken from all fields, can scientifically be interpreted only as showing that Italy is resuming her war-interrupted industrial ascension, and that this ascension goes on, not because, but in spite of Fascism and its intensification of bureaucratic, protectionistic and police restrictions. ANGELO CRESPI. NATIONAL LIBERAL CLUB. *ee McGuire's Italy's International Economic Position (Unwin and Allen), 1927. No. 501 will be published in July, 1927. INDEX Titles of Articles are printed in heavy type Abercrombie, Prof., and Mr. Lascelles, town planning at Stratford-on-Avon, 322 Acton, Lord, quoted, 243, 246 Adams, Henry, 290 Adams, John Quincey, 3 Afghan war, first, Lord Ellenborough and, 119 et seq. Conference of Governors, 43 Land-expropriation of natives, 48 Native labour question, compulsory, 44 Taxation, native, 52 Agriculture-farming conditions, 33 Colour problem, 29 et seq.; inter- Indian question, 31 Manufactures, 34 Native problems, 28 et seq.; inter- Population-mixed race problems; Social Problems in South Africa, Tariff policy, 34 Agriculture-English field system, 75- 91 Aguinaldo (Philippine rebel leader), 20 Air warfare, 385-401 Alexandretta project, Lord Kitchener's, American Imperialism, 1-18 411 posite prayer book, 225-241 passim Archbold, W. A. J., New Light on Aston, Maj.-Gen. Sir George, The Auckland, Lord, and Lord Ellen- Barnes, Rt. Hon. G. N., 360 Bean, W. J., quoted, 151 Beethoven, Ludwig van, Beethoven's Belloc, Mr. Hilaire, 245-273 Birrell, Mr. Augustine, 174 Blake, William, 272 Bocobo, J., General Wood and the Law, Boers-relations with natives, 28 Books, Recently Published, 204-208; Borden, Sir Robert, 220 Chaplin, Henry: A memoir, 206 Chatterton, Keble, The Brotherhood of Churchill, Mr. Winston-Dardanelles Church Assembly-report of Eccle- Ecclesiastical discipline, Royal Com- Holy Communion, alternative order Prayer Book Revision, The Compo- Prayers for the departed, 238 Cobbett, William-on the growth of Colonial Laws Validity Act, 223 evidence Composite Book, The, 225-241 Cotton, A. D., The Index Kewensis Council for the Preservation of Rural Courson, Aurélien de, Histoire des Cousins, Mr. C. W., on white and native birth-rate in South Africa, 33 Criminology-use of psychology, 310 Crown-as leader of society, 295 Curzon of Kedleston, Lord, Leaves from Dardanelles campaign (1915), 189 Defence, Committee of Imperial, 200 "Dollar Diplomacy," 1-18 passim Dowdall, H. C., Ecclesiastical Courts, Drama, The Late Development of Irish, 364-374 Drummond, Sir Eric-on League of Duclaux, Mary, Portrait of Pascal, 404 Durham, Bp. of, The Composite Book, Ecclesiastical Courts, 326-334 Eckenstein, Lina, Comparative Studies in Nursery Rhymes, 375 tion of public records, 127 England, The Planning of, 313-325 Ericaceae, 153 Eucharistic vestments, legalization of, 234 Evangelical party-attitude towards new Composite Prayer Book, 240 Evesham, Sir Thomas de, 127 Farrer, Reginald, 144 Fascism, The Origins and Spirit of, 58-74 Federzoni, Luigi, 63 Field system, English, 75 Figgis, J. W., Churches in the Modern Folds, 78 Folk-Song, The Oldest English, 375- Forrest, G., 144, 145 Fortescue, The Hon. Sir John, The Freeman, Joseph, Dollar Diplomacy, I Gaffre, Abbe L. A., Inquisition et Inqui- Gallipoli campaign (1915): in Darda- Garden Plants, The Index Kewensis Gardiner, A. G., The Life of Sir W. Gentile, Giovanni, Che cosa é il Fas- George the Fourth, 207 Gilbert, Bernard, Letters to America, 402 speare and reading the classics, 115 Goodsall, Robert H., Palestine Memories Granville, Lord, 290 Gray, Howard Levi, English Field Greville, Charles C. F., 122 Hart, Albert Bushnell, The Monroe Hartleben, Lehmann, 336 Hearnshaw, F. S. C., Social and Political Heretics, treatment of, 247 Hersart de la Villemarqué, Vicomte, 375 Hindenburg, Marshall von-on Alexan- History, The Writing of Nineteenth Hobson, J. A., Free Thought in the Social Holy Communion, alternative order for, Inquisition Once More, The, 242-257 Irish Drama, The Late Development Irish Literary Theatre, 374 Ironside, Gen. Sir Edmond-lecture on Italy:- Fascism, the origins and spirit, 58-74 353 Socialist movement, 60 James, Capt. W. M., The British Navy Japan-policy regarding Philippines, 25 Jellicoe, Lord, The Grand Fleet, 1914-16 Jennings, W. W., A History of Econo- mic Progress in the United States, 403 Johnson, Willis Fletcher, America's Jones, H. Stuart, The Decay of the Jugum, 88 Kaffirs-native problems in South Kaye, Sir J. W., 124 Kennedy, W. P. M., The Political 209-224 Kent-town planning, 314 Kewensis and New Garden Plants, |