MUSSOLINI'S GESTURE

Professor George La Piana in his criticism of the recent treaty between the Italian government and the Pope, emphasises the fact that this agreement again gives the church control of the destiny of Italy in permitting the ecclesiastical powers to direct the educational system. According to this pact, there will be compulsory religious training in all schools and colleges, in addition to the fact that the appointment and discharge of instructors will be determined by their achievements in the light of the papal standards. In appearance at least, Italy has fallen into the same rut of church domination that still hampers Spanish progress, and which is the cause of much dissension in the southern part of the United States.

The unusual feature of this arrangement is that Mussolini seems to be willing to let such considerable power escape from his dictatorial control and fall into the hands of a late antagonistic faction. It is especially striking in view of the fact that he has expended so much effort in bringing Italy under the absolute control of the civil government. He takes no consideration of the fact that in a few years the Italian nation will consist of those persons whose education he is now entrusting to an institution that by its very nature can not be anything but reactionary.

If this revival of the feudal method of allowing the church to control student thought is but a diplomatic gesture, there must be some unknown aspects of the question to necessitate taking such a risk. All of the achievements of this generation will be destroyed at the death of those who are responsible for them if the education of the coming citizens of Italy is allowed to be controlled by the antedated system of religious policy. Religion is moral, while education is intellectual, and an attempted combination of the two results in stagnation.