ITALY: New No. 2 Man

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GIOVANNI BATTISTA GIURIATI

He is 54. He lost an arm in the War. He was with D'Annunzio at the snatching of Fiume. In his native Venice he was "Fascist" before Fascism (i. e. he had founded a reactionary party of his own which he gladly merged with Benito's Black Shirts when they were banded).

Of course he was with Il Duce on the "March to Rome." In 1924, during the Royal Italian Naval Cruise, he blossomed as "Ambassador Extraordinary to South America." Next year he became Minister of Public Works. Last year 77 Duce made him President of the Chamber of Deputies.

Why Turati out? Why Giuriati in? Not five people in Italy knew for certain last week, possibly not four. Might loves mys tery. But this set of facts was clear:

For a Fascist, devoted Augusto Turati is remarkably mild, even reasonable, conciliatory. He was made secretary general in 1926 to tone down the excesses of his predecessor, Roberto Farinacci, notorious leader of Fascist Selvaggi ("Savages") who blustered about Italy smashing doors, knocking out teeth, kicking pits of stomachs. Today, with the Fascist Party comparatively civilized, there is talk in Rome that Civilizer Turati is perhaps "too mild." His successor is not. Up and down Italy nervous people know that Giovanni Battista Giuriati has metaphorically bashed and smashed from Fiume to the Quirinal. But, "man of iron" though he is, the new secretary general's head is comparatively clear. He will scarcely make such a mistake as the Fascist murder of Socialist Deputy Giacomo Matteotti in 1924—the crime which nearly wrecked Il Duce's regime. (TIME, June 23, 1924 et seq.).