10 JANUARY 1925, Page 2

The crisis in Italy grows more intense. Last Saturday Signor

Mussolini made a statement on- his policy and methods, but no vote was taken and the Chamber was indefinitely adjourned. Once again Signor Mussolini won, a great Pyrrhic. victory. A few more of them will ruin him. According to the Times correspondent, he began by announcing that his speech would not be a- strictly Parliamentary utterance, and it certainly was not. He pointed out that the Chamber had the right to arraign Ministers before the High Court of Justice, and by the manner in which he invited the deputies to take. that course he really defied them to do it. By this chal- lenge he earned tremendous applause, though those of, his opponents who really count sat dumb with dis- approval and misgiving. He pointed out that he had been accused personally of setting up a Terror. But he had created nothing resembling the Russian Cheka ; he had always advocated a "surgical, intelligent and, chivalrous violence." How could anyone imagine that he- had been such a fool as . to order assaults on his opponents ? He had respected the murdered Matteotti, in whom he recognized and respected a stubbornness resembling his own..