Socialist Crisis in Italy

...Italy is a western nation...

...My insistence on tha defense ef ths independence of tke Socialist party (ef which I have been a member for almost fifty years) against the intrusion of tat Communists, hi not to be construed as a denial of whatever merits the Comma, nlsts may kave acquired during the Russian Revolution...

...So much so that last December the Socialists quit the Bonomi Government, while the Communists remained...

...Thus the conference was easily dominated by the "militants" who until a few weeks before had risked their lives and engaged in actual combat, and at the same time it was deprived of the measure of mature reflection and calmness that once characterized our national conventions...

...Before the abrupt collapse of the remnants of Fascism in the North could he foreseen, when nobody could imagine that the utter destruction of the dictatorship would lead to the exhibition in the Piazza Loreto of the bodies of Mussolini, Rnmtiacci and Farinacci, the Socialists in the northern provinces had successfully resisted tha Communists, who had tried to impose upon them their will and their politics, which are a pardoxical mixture of reformism and verbal revolution...

...The first result was that the Italian Socialist group headed by Nenni, who in the days following immediately the Milan events had favored the Communists' appeal for a "united Socialist-Communist party," came to the realization that they had run too fast (that the fruit was not ripe yet), and decided to postpone the fusion to a later date...

...Her reitora-ti u is an occidental problem, eras though this fact was not realized at the Rome conference as fully as it could and should have been...

...But I insis...

...It followed that the Communist current, which was better prepared to assert itself, saw its importance enhanced considerably, although the innovations it proposes to introduce are ideologically and practically less radical, both in substance and in depth, than those advocated by'the Socialists...

...The scheme fell through because the Communists did not resist the Soviet demands that they should uphold Yugoslav claims on Trieste...

...Needless to say, the discussion was confined, against the will of some of the delegates, to the problem that was uppermost In the thoughts of the overwhelming majority: how to prepare the way for a fusion with the Communists, or how to preserve the traditional autonomy of the Socialist movement...

...Later...

...Thee the delegatce had to choose between the motion offered by the Socialists adhering to the traditions of the party, and a motion agreed upon by tke outright fnaionists and the concealed fusionist«, who ksd hidden themselves behind all possible reser-vationa aa to the tisae and the manner in which the fasion was to be effected...

...With the exception of Socialists who closely adhere to the traditions of the parly, such aa Karagat and Silone, they all vied with one another aa to who would be the shrewdest in avoiding the danger of sledding toward Stalin, while giving at the same time the impression that the sledding would be postponed, without fixing the date or specifying the manner in which it would be effected As the first result of this situation, three main motions were offered: the first, which 1 shall call mi/oneie, was the most favorable to a fusion with the Communists...

...While it is from tin Kast (and quite wrongly, I think) Out international salvation was expected, it is from the West that the Italians, all of them, are expecting the material help and the spiritual directives that Italy needs in order that she may not die, that she may be reborn...

...The fees sincere ef the two motions wss carried by 334,04· rotes to 139,000...

...gies...

...The Communists were unquesllonahly the cleverest and the quickest to turn the events to their own advantage with a view to recruit to their ranks, all over Italy, not only the anti-Fascist fighters of the hour of triumph, but also the enemies of yesterday and of the day before yesterday, who hastened to place themselves at the service of the victors...

...It was in this phase of preparation...

...The motion wkkk embodied the atrengeet f unionist will was withdraw a at the laat minute, aa Use extremists were content to insert ias the centrist ¦notion a clause wkkh, while not ask iag for fusion, would prepare the ground for achieving it...

...The last was supported by Ignazio Silone, who levelled a well-thought and effective criticism against Soviet foreign policy...

...After the Constituent Assembly, they said...

...The English and French Socialisti have recognized—without any hostility to Russia—the necessity of a clear distinction between countries of differtat traditions, of different races and idtola...

...that Soviet formulae are not tha most suitable to meet the needs and aspirations of *H peoples...

...It could not be otherwise owing to the present conditions of the communication and transportation facilities of Italy, which reduced to a minimum the possibility of making preparations and reaching understandings between the attending delegations, particularly between the various currents within the Socialist party...

...Luckily, at the last moment the losers did not succeed in committing, as eome of them had tried, the final blunder of giving up their right to proportional representation in the executive of the party...

...G it SEPPE MODIGLIANI was a prominent leader of tke Italian Soeiatiat Party at tke tisae ef Maaaelkd'a access to power...

...Amid loud bursts of applause (which were soon forgotten when the vote was taken) he recalled the forever-alive and vital Socialist humanism...

...Nor is this all...

...It failed also because—luckily—even in Northern Italy the impression was gaining ground that it would be inadvisable to fall again into the errors of 1920-21, especially in view of the fact that in the intervening years the old Leninist current had succumbed to the ever more encroaching imperialism of Generalissimo Stalin...

...Though not openly expressed, it was apparent that certain Socialists believed that the postponement would facilitate the process of welding together the Socialist and the Communist parties in Italy...

...for the future, that the pruceedings of the national conference were opened in Rome...

...the third reaffirmed in substance the resolve of the movers to adhere to democratic and Socialist traditions...

...Thus it happened, to a greater extent than is usually the case at gatherings of this kind, that the elements who are mora easily "mohilizable" had an advantage over others...

...In the numerous publications written and edited by Modigliani, he han revealed himself ss s staunch democrat opposed to any form of totalitarianism...

...In fairness to the victors, it must be admitted that they did not do anything to exclude the minority from the central council...

...the second, which may he called centrist, appeared to propose, as originally worded by Sandro I'ertini, that no commitments for a fusion should be made for the time being...

...The convention was a meeting of people whose¦ emotions were raised to fever heat . . . and not by the fierce Roman sun alone...

...The blame is to he laid at the door of the victors who did not comprehend that there can be no real victory unless clearness of ideas and purpose Js openly manifested...

...Persecuted by the Fascist regime, ke led Ike country, and continued his anti-Faariat activity from France throughout the 20 years ef the Mussolini dictatorship...

...When...

...It could not have been otherwise, on account of the immediate repercussions throughout the country of the events in Northern Italy, and of the further repercussions they had in the Rome convention, over which the "blast of wind from the North" exerted an influence truly decisive, if not entirely beneficial...

...Socialist Crisis in Italy Socialists Must Preserve Democracy and Independence By Giuseppi Modigliani The Italian Socialist conference (which was held in Rome from July 29 to August 1) was not a comic ? ess, for the provincial federations alone took part in it...

...ditions ami firmly resolved to repel tha Communist invasion, prove equal I t« their historic task...

...Their driving force was such that for a time they thought they would easily succeed in gaining control of the Italian Socialist party which, while less rich in force and means, has an abundance of democratic, social and political traditions it has never repudiated...

...The convention was held within three months after the "blast of wind from the North"—the events in Northern Italy and their psychological repercussions throughout the country— which set tha utmost value upon directives deemed more revolutionary, even though the revolt, with its terrible sanctions, was (particularly in Milan) the work of all the anti-Fascist parties headed by the most authoritative exponents of the Socialist movement...

...Let's come down to facts...

...Not th at all of them hail the courage to put the question in terras so explicit and sincere...

...Rome, Augeet 10, IMS...

...Unpleasant as it may be, it must be admitted that the future of the ISP, as the leader of the Italian masses, remains uncertain...

...However, the writer had to use what was left of his voice, convince the democratic Socialists that.they should not fail to grasp an honest opportunity, such as that afforded by their presence in the party councils, of helping to determine, in due time and in a more orderly and straight-forward manner, the fate of the Italian Socialist move-men t. The Rome conference will have marked but a period of crisis if the Socialist forces, adhering steadfastly to their Us...

...When the Germans in Italy were speeding their retreat to the north, all the anti-Fascist parties developed vigorous action throughout that part of the country, and the Committees of National Liberation, comprising ant i Fascists of all political shades, launched the assault that achieved final victory )n April 1945...

...Far from it...