The Italian Government yesterday issued the first number of a spec a review entitled “Difenza della Razza” (defense of the race), the latest weapon in its recently-launched racial campaign, while Fascist newspapers devoted editorials to denying that the race drive implied persecution of Jews.
The review appeared in 40 pages under the editorship of Telesio Interlard, editor of the anti-Semitic IL Tevere and newly-appointed director of the Ministry of Interior’s department for Demography and Race Protection. It contains 50 illustrations, an article by Interlard on “Racism and the Fascist Party,” an article by Minister of Justice Arrigo Solmi on “Ethnic Unity of the Italian Nation in History,” and 13 other articles dealing with various aspects of the racial problem.
The review contains the manifesto on racialism of July 14 by a group of Fascist professors, Achille Starace’s declaration on July 26 making the race policy the chief order of business in the coming fascist year, premier Benito Mussolini’s declaration to Emil Ludwig on the Jews, statistics on Jewish criminals and articles on racialism and the biological and psychological characteristics of the “Italian race.”
Virginio Gayda, authoritative Fascist spokesman, in an article in his Paper Giornale d’ Italia, repeated that defense of race would not be persecution, and asserted that it would be carried out despite all protest and external or internal reaction. He added that it would be implemented by methodical action.
Il Tevere declared editorially: “We will not persecute the Jews because it is not necessary, but we will not permit the Jews to impose on us their mentality, interests, aims and requirements. We will put an end to the Hebraic invasion of intellectual professions.” Italy’s racial policy, IL Messagero declared editorially, consists of proceeding to a complete separation of races in the sphere of demography, but applying justice, humanity and equity in economic and social domains and repulsing all anti-Semitism.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
