TOPICS OF THE DAY
THE ITALIAN PLOT
IT is almost impossible to arrive at the truth about the plot to assassinate Signor Mussolini. It may have been a big affair aiming at nothing less than the overthrow of the Monarchy and the establishment of a Republic, or it may have been a small affair, issuing from a half demented brain, which has been magnified for political reasons. Possibly we shall not know the truth for a long time, as Signor Mussolini has decreed that no news about the plot shall be published except what is circulated by the Stefani Agency, and presumably that Agency will be kept under : strict control. All that one can do in the circumstances is on slender evidence to express a preference for either the magnifying or the minimizing account: Our own. preference is for the minimizing account. It is fairly obvious that the opponents of Fascism could have had no serious hope of bringing off a coup d'etat ; and events have already shown that Signor Mussolini and his friends have gained more than they lost by what has happened. The Opposition as a whole has been _put under a certainly undeserved suspicion, whereas Fascism, profiting by the sweep of popular sentiment, has made its position stronger than it has been for many months. Signor Mussolini at one time evidently meant to build a bridge by which a return to Constitutionalism would be easy when his powerful personality was removed, but lie either missed his oppOrtunity - or did not perceive one, and now circumstances. have made hini. - once again the supreme law.
We will try briefly to summarize the facts of . the conspiracy as they have been stated in the Italian newspapers. Almost everything that has been said has been contradicted, but some of the statements which have been -contradicted have been reasserted and a few details have survived all tests and may be taken as approximately accurate. Wednesday, November 4th, was the anniversary of Vittorio Veneto. On that day there was a great procession in the streets which was watched by Signor Mussolini from the Palazzo Chigi. Shortly before the ceremony, Signor Zaniboni, who used to be a moderate Socialist deputy, was arrested in an hotel almost facing the Palazzo Chigi. In his room at the hotel was found a :rifle fitted with a tele- scopic sight. In the shutter of the window a loophole had been cut so that the rifle Could be directed upon the balcony upon which Signor Mussolini would stand: Signor Zaniboni was wearing the 'uniform of a major of the Alpinis and had shaved off his moustache. -Two other rooms, it was said, had been engaged by his con- federates in other hotels which also commanded the Palazzo Chigi.' Outside Signor ZanibOni's hotel was a waiting motor-ear With- a large supply of petrol and food. It evidently Was his intention to try to escapç. in the confusion. after firing' his shots.
About the same time General - Luigi Capello, whd commanded the Second Army Corps in the War, was arrested near the frontier. General Capello's _record does not give any chic to the mystery of his arrest. When the Fascist revolution took place he was : one of those who marched on Rome with Signor Mussolini. For some time • he remained a Fascist: and apparently it was not till the persecution of the Freemasons began that he parted .COMpany with Signor Mussolini.
The Fascist newspapers, - which have' the field almost to themselves -as the 'Opposition papers are -siippressedi when they say 'anything incautious, deelared immediately' after the arrest of Signor Zaniboni that a revolution had been planned—aiming, as- we have said alreadyiat the establishment of a-Republic—and that the arranganents had been helped and financed in a certain foreign country. Reading between the lines one -cannot fail to see that the "foreign country" is France. As is customary among Latin. people the Freemasons are held to be responsible for prodigies of dark intrigue and skilful organization- The Fascist newspapers expressed .their belief that • virtually the whole Italian Opposition was in the plot, and that Freemasonry was the cement which - held together such extraordinarily dissimilar groups as those which compose the Opposition. It was not explained what the Opposition groups hoped to gain, even if- they could have combined in this way. If there had been such a conspiracy, and if a revolutionhad been attempted, there would certainly have been more dead members: of the Opposition than dead Fascists by the next morning. The evidence for this almost incredible conspiracy -appar- ently amounts to not much more Allan the fact that General Capello frequently visited Paris, where many . _ anti-Fascist exiles are living, that he resented the recent persecutions of Freemasons and that he was. believed to have been in touch with Signor Zaniboni.
It was not till Friday, November 6th, that the news- papers began. to fasten their attention upon a certain Signor Quaglia, a newspaper reporter, who had been much in the company of „Signor Zaniboni, and _who had been arrested upon the discovery of the plot, but had- shortly afterwards :been released. Signor Quaglia's story is a very strange One. He says that Signor Zaniboni frequently talked, even openly, of his intention to kill Signor Mussolini, but that his friends did not take him seriously, -This statement -perhaps, as much as any- thing else, inclines us against the serious view of the conspiracy. The evidence _ accumulates, indeed, that Signor Zaniboni was not taken very seriously by anyone.
He had been turned out of the Socialist group to which he belonged,,so it is said, and his conversation was often so inconsequent that nobody could think of him as -a leader. When, however, Signor Quaglia discovered that Signor Zaniboni really intended to try to assassinate Signor Mussolini he informed the police. It -seems that *hen informing them he hoped to be able to secure the safety- of those whom - he incriminated. Whether a bargain or not was struck we .do not know, but at all events, the police found Signor Zaniboni in the- hotel where he was said to be and arrested him.
Now to sum up this situation. We have on. the one hand -the fact that the principal criminal displayed sy- infitorns. of aberration and incompetence—the 'efficient plotter does not broadcast his intentions—and on "the other hand the fact that the Fascists are pressing .their accusations not . against the extremists, but against the whole Opposition, and particularly against those moderate Socialists, of whom: the murdered Matteotti was one. Does it not look as though the plot against Signor Musso Hai life has been -found very Useful: ammunition by the' Fascists who can ihake'off the charges- of Violence which had been hanging over themselves and turn the tables on their enemy.? If Signor Mussolini had not felt that the plot had strengthened him he would not have felt able to suppress. the Chainber of Labour at Milan, and hand the building over to the .Fascists. But although there seems to be no sufficient reason for thinking that a coup.d'etat was in the Making; the fact remains that an -attempt on Signor Mussolini's life was unquestionably intended and was narrowly averted.. We rejoice that the abominable Scheme was discovered in time and we heartily 'join with those who are congratulating Signor: -Mussolini-upOn his haPpy delivery.
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