Fascist Morality

Such a thing as jailing a prominent actress for preferring another man to her husband and proving it, is all but unknown in Italy--or anywhere else. But throughout Italy last week the encyclical of Pope Pius XI covering all forms of amorous activity (TIME, Jan. 19) produced startling results. A national crusade to promote "Fascist Morality" began. Doctors were arrested by the dozen on charges of extinguishing the unborn, pharmacies were raided for contraceptives, the notorious cliques of unnatural persons in Venice, Naples, Capri, were put under investigation, and at Florence prominent, popular Actress Wanda Orlandini was sentenced to three months in jail. True, the regular licensed bordellos-- licensed by the Fascist Government--were not closed, but inspectors of the female occupants were put on their mettle. Under Italian law, as was widely pointed out last week, a man can only be arrested for philandering upon complaint of the lady's husband, if she has one. But a woman can be arrested on complaint of anyone on a "common warrant."

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