respect of many milliards' worth of production and profits during and since the war. (b) Acquisition of Industrial Concerns. On April 29, 1923, the Fascist Government decided to purchase 18,000 shares in the Mineral Oil Refinery of Fiun1e, for 8,300,443 lire. Signor Monti, an engineer belonging to the Fascist technical committees, had stated that ''The acquisition of the shares, considered as a commercial transaction, can only create a spurious prosperity, injurious to the finances of the State, and dangerous to the establishment itself.'' As a director representing the Government on the board of the Refinery there has been nominated Commendatore Rosboch, a former bank employee, who is not resident in Fiume, and has never been associated with the oil industry, but who had negotiated the purchase; among other "oil experts" appointed to the board were Massimo Rocca, Dino Grandi, Iginio Magrini. 1 (c) Intervention in 13anking Affairs. At the end of 1921 the Banca di Sconto was allowed to crash, but in 1923 the Fascist Government, intervening in the very field of private enterprise in which it had professed that it ought not to intervene, came to the rescue of the Banco di Roma. · The fact is qisclosed by the reports of the Bank itself;· but it is not revealed by any law or decree. This shows that a few persons are able to dispose of milliards of public money, even in the interest of private concerns, without either public or parliamentary control. 2 The facts are, however, revealed indirectly by decrees · 1 Well-known Fascist political leaders.-Trans. i In recognition of this favour the representatives of the board of the Banco di Roma gave a public assurance to the meeting of . shareholders on September 29, 1923, that "the work of the board will be inspired by a sense of the deepest responsibility and of gratitude to the Fascist Government." They forgot to add that payment was being made not by the Fascist Government but by the Italian nation. 2l C Biblioteca Gino Bianco
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