THE BUILDER JULY 1925

Freemasonry and Fascismo in Italy

By BRO. FRANK G. BELLINI, New York

BRO. BELLINI, who is Worshipful Master of Garihaldi Lodge, No. 542,
New York City, has long kept in touch, by correspondence and
through personal contacts, with the vicissitudes of the Craft in
Italy.

AFTER the conclusion of the World War it seemed for a while as
though Socialism would gain the upper hand and control everything
in Italy. In that country, the official Socialists include men of
different tendencies, ranging from the very temperate to the most
violent, from those who have been called Reformists (Evolutionists)
to those who call themselves Communists, and later even
Bolshevists.

In November, 1919, the first elections since 1913 were held in
Italy. In 1913 the Socialist Party had 77 deputies; in 1919 the
number rose to 156. In the latter elections the Socialist formulas
were: Opposition to the middle class, which had been in favor of
the war; the reaffirmation of Socialism, and solidarity with the
Russia of the Soviets. They drew their strength from the suffering
and destruction caused by the war, from the disillusion that
followed on the victory, and the rancor against the Allies, who
were looked upon as ungrateful for the great sacrifice and the
great contribution made by Italy to the Entente cause.

Such was the discontent at the time that, if the Socialists had won
the same proportion of votes in the south as in the north, their
majority would have brought them into power.

The great metallurgical strike of 1920 brought matters to a crisis.
The strikers took over a number of industrial plants without
violence or bloodshed, and thus started a politico-economic
revolution, the illegality of which they demanded of the Parliament
to ratify; but it had already been condoned by government inaction.
This extraordinary "economic" experiment was tried in the Valley of
the Po--the great metallurgic center of the country, which during
the World War had supplied the nation with its material means of
combat and which was the objective of every Austro-German
offensive.

By the middle of September, 1920, all these plants had been taken
over by the workers, who operated them so far as lack of raw
materials, technical skill, money and business executives would
permit. The works were run under established Soviets and with red
flags flying over the buildings. The government had already
declared its neutrality. There were many within the ranks of the 
Socialist Party who were opposed to the Soviet form of government,
but it was those who favored it that formed the Syndicate of Metal
Workers and enabled the policy of "direct action" to be carried
out.

As all the world now knows, the economic experiment was not a
success; the hands of the government had become weakened; respect
for authority had almost died out and the country stood on the
verge of falling under the dominion of mob law. Social
organizations had practically broken down and the bonds of order
were loosened. It was then that the Fascisti arose to save the
country from ultimate ruin and solution.

The origins of this remarkable movement go back to the national
revival succeeding the disaster of Caporetto and culminating in the
Piave. It was the young men of that revival, again rising
spontaneously throughout, Italy, that constituted themselves into
the Fascisti. The inevitable reaction had come. These young, heroic
men had sacrificed their all for the defense of the country and
were now witnessing the approach of a national catastrophe--perhaps
in imitation of Russia.

It is a curious phenomenon of this movement that its leader should
have been Benito Mussolini, a former Socialist editor, who
separated himself from the Socialist Party because of his advocacy
of Italy's participation in the war. The Fascist groups, but
loosely held together, varying according to the characteristics of
their respective regions. at first consisted largely of young men
of the upper middle classes, though some were of the nobility. The
major groups were composed of students, ex-officers. and
demobilized Arditi; but now there were among them an increasing
number of workers, and of the sons of peasants and smaller
shopkeepers. Doubtful elements came among them, and they became in
some degree compromised by men who were more or less adventurers.

They stood to a certain degree for social reforms, and they indeed
rivalled the Communists in the bitterness of their feelings against
war-profiteers. While they also advocated the agrarian revolution
in returning the lands to the peasants, their main purpose was
directed against the Bolshevist propaganda, which they aimed either
completely to suppress or convert those who harbored Bolshevik
tendencies. In this object they succeeded by degrees, and thus
rendered valuable service to the country.

MASONS JOINED THE EARLY MOVEMENT

The Fascisti movement, which originated in Milan, numbered among
its first and most active members the brothers of the Masonic
lodges of that city, especially of the Lodge, "La Ragione."
Branches were formed in Bologna, Turin, Florence and Genoa, also in
other parts of the Peninsula. The Masons everywhere supported and
inspired the patriotic movement. Even the Grand Master of the Grand
Orient, who from some quarters had been warned to forbid Masons
from participating in the movement, issued a circular to the effect
that he would not interfere with brothers joining a new
organization of national strength with the purpose of saving the
country, and those who set their political views against the
interests of the country were expelled.

But now Mussolini, desiring to affirm himself, thought to utilize
the great influence of the Catholic Church upon the popular soul,
at his very debut in Parliament, made a speech in the Chamber of
Deputies upholding the universal sovereignty of the Pontiff. After
the Fascisti march on Rome and when Mussolini had gathered the
reins of absolute power into his hands, he commenced a policy of
surrender to the Vatican, first by imposing the teaching of the
Catholic doctrine in the public schools. The Catholic Press was
naturally delighted; other concessions were asked for and freely
granted, while a veiled request for the suppression of Freemasonry
was also formulated. The Freemasons, of course, protested strongly
and a powerful stir was created in the Fascisti organization, many
influential members of which were also members of the Craft.

Then commenced a violently hostile campaign against Freemasonry in
the Catholic and Fascisti press, and the most ferocious but stupid
attacks appeared in the Popolo d'Italia, edited by Mussolini's
brother Arnaldo. It seems that four or five years ago this brother
endeavored--in vain--to join the Order. As a man of superior
intelligence he must surely have known its ideals and constitution,
hence, how can his present unreasoning hostility be explained ?

For a long time now the Fascisti have been carrying on a campaign
of violence, robbing and destroying private property, workmen's
co-operative institutions, Masonic temples, etc. In vain has Grand
Master Torrigiani protested openly to Mussolini; but the
perpetrators of these excesses have always gone unpunished. Numbers
were brutally murdered, and the world was shocked at the murder of
the Hon. Matteotti, in which some of the leaders of the Fascisti
were implicated.

It so happened at the Socialist Congress in Bologna in 1912 that
Mussolini, then editor of their organ, L'Avanti, had persuaded the
gathering to approve the resolution, "either Mason or Socialist."
Soon after he had attained to his abnormal power of political
control, he made the Fascisti Grand Council forget the great
services rendered to the national cause by the members of the
millenary Masonic Institution and passed the edict, "Either Fascist
or Mason."

At one time Mussolini could not tolerate the influence of the
Socialist Masons, who taught in their temples love of country and
the principles of civil progress of the people by gradual
evolution, because they contrasted too violently to the
revolutionary movement he wanted to impose upon the party. Then he
considered Freemasonry as the worst enemy of Socialism,
representing the bourgeoisie and conservatism; from his point of
view, Freemasonry yesterday was retrograde and had to be opposed
because it retarded the Socialist revolutionary movement, and today
it must be opposed because it is not retrograde.

It was at the beginning of the World War that Mussolini, disgusted
at the pacific attitude of the Italian Socialists, abandoned that
party with other leaders and became one of the most fervent
interventionists.

SHALL SECRET SOCIETIES BE SUPPRESSED?

At present the most discussed question in Italy is the law
providing for the suppression of secret societies, which is aimed
directly at Freemasonry. There can be no doubt, however, but that
the leaders of Fascism are thoroughly acquainted with the loyalty
of the Order. To be admitted into Italian Freemasonry it is
essential to swear devotion to the country to the extent of
sacrificing life for it if necessary, and this obligation keeps out
those of the anti-national parties, but they must also (according
to Masonic law) be devoted to liberty.

The Masons have openly approved many acts of Mussolini's
government, but they could never agree with his clerical policy.
They could never give their assent to so false a conception of
patriotism as would set the country back a thousand years; it would
be an insult to the memory of so many martyrs to liberty of
conscience and the civil progress of the people.

There can be no doubt but that Masons all over the world follow
with deep sympathy the movement in Italy over a question of
principles which are the very essence of the ideals which the Order
supports and has defended throughout the world for centuries. The
Italian Freemasons are defending the rights of the State and of the
citizens against the excesses of the minister, and neither the
Fascist clubs nor their castor oil can intimidate them, even as
they were not deterred by the tortures, hangings and shootings of
their brethren during the epic struggle for liberty, independence
and the unity of Italy. Not even its bitterest enemies could ever
belittle the patriotic spirit of Italian Freemasonry.


Some time ago, the Grand Master of the Grand Orient of Italy,
Domizio Torrigiani, concluded thus a interview with a reporter of
the "Giornale d'Italia":

"It is in Freemasonry and nowhere else that the most solemn and
heroic tradition of Italian patriotism is preserved. If I may
compare a minor event with a greater one, I can tell you that from
the day on which, with Melchiorre Delfico, fourteen Italian
patriots proposed to Napoleon at Elba the project for he
unification of Italy, down to the day on which about a hundred
Milanese Masons decided to join and give vitality to the very first
fighting Italian Fascisti, Freemasonry was present at every
patriotic movement. The Grand Orient of Italy came into being with
the first Napoleonic kingdom of Italy; it dispersed later in secret
societies throughout the Peninsula; reappeared at Turin in 1861,
when we had a much different Kingdom of Italy; it transferred
itself to and affirmed itself at Rome in 1871 under the leadership
of Garibaldi. From the first unitary movement of 1848--to the
annexation--to the fighting for the conquest of Venice and Rome--to
the Parliament of 1870- and thence to the irredentism and
interventionism--to the resistance and the national renascence, you
will always find this indefatigable institution on the opre [job],
surrounded by implacable aversion, ever renewed. The accusations
are always the same. To read some papers today is like reading the
abbate [Abbe] Barruel. We are used to it, and shall continue our
work with serenity."
