guilty of theft and receiving (when the thief, being a Fascist, was able to give it to be understood that he had robbed in order to finance-the march on Rome !) , and its application was allowed even for defamation andadultery ! In contrast to this unheard-of generosity towards crimes committed for "national ends," the decree applied extreme severity to-the rest. The Premier wrote, in his letter of congratulation to the Minister, that through this provision the "so-called tyrannical Government was throwing open the prison gates,'' but the truth was that not a gate opened. For political or politically-inspired crimes (other than homicide) a year's remission was granted, and the same for those arising out of economic or social disturbances. Complete amnesty was granted only in cases of minor crimes, for wliicl? the minimum penalty does not exceed tfiree years, and which were committed in connection with agitation?, conflicts or disturbances with an economic or social origin. Hence the beneficiaries were extremely few. The decree of April 9, 1923, simply granted a remission of three months for common crimes ; a grotesque and unjust provision. The most recent decree, of October 31, 1923, granted · amnesty for politically-inspired crimes, but excluded all crimes against the security of the State and those for which the minimum penalty exceeds three years. In the latter case a few years' remission was allovved in consider~tion of certain extenuating circumstances, but never in the case of crimes against the security of the State. A true amnesty, a true pacification should have applied precisely to the crimes against the person committed during the virtual civil war of 1921 a~d 1922, crimes dealt with by juries which frequently \Vere bound to be led astray by hate or terror. For every Fascist 50 BibliotecaGino Bianco
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