12 APRIL 1924, Page 2

It is really an elaborate scheme of " Unproportional Representation,"

and as such it seems to have considerable merit. After all, any system with local single-member constituencies such as our own might be extremely unfair to such a movement as that of the Fascisti, or any similar movement. There might be, perhaps, 25 per cent. of Faseisti or Socialists, or what you will, which per- centage might be, if there were a considerable number of other parties, a larger percentage of the electorate than that adhering to any other single party. Yet under the system of local constituencies they might conceivably fail to secure any representation at all ; while if, as in Italy to-day, the whole country votes together, they might become the largest single party. At any rate, it is impossible summarily to dismiss the Italian system as a fake. After all, the object of the whole business is to provide a reasonable and efficient government. If, as seems just possible, the Fascist law does that for Italy, no theoretical objections will seriously prejudice it. * * * *