NITTI, GIOLITTI, DON STURZO 65
up and weaken the other parties, and not to initiate, as
Don Sturzo wished, a policy of large-scale party alliances
based on well-defined programmes. The Vatican, which
had tried in vain to save Nitti, opposed Giolitti, fearful of
his financial programme and his conception of the c two
parallels', church and state, which need never meet.
Amongst the measures proposed by Giolitti, that enforcing
the registration of all bonds by the holder especially con-
cerned the church, which had so far been able to evade the
laws regarding ecclesiastical possessions by holding bearer
bonds and owning property through intermediaries.
Nothing, however, could stop Giolitti's accession to
power. He was looked upon and trusted almost everywhere
as a saviour. The Italian bourgeoisie, which in 1914 had
supported the war to rid themselves of the working-class
movement, which was getting too powerful, now rallied for
the same reason to the supporter of neutrality, the e traitor ',
Giolitti. Even those who had been his fiercest enemies,
such as Sonnino, begged him to take office. It was remem-
bered that in those happy times before the war Giolitti had
proved himself able to charm the socialist serpent. c Those
who in 1915 ', wrote Guglielmo Ferrero, ( snatched the
magic wand from his hands and broke it, are now calling
on the old magician to renew his former marvels.5 The
nationalists, who had been his most violent opponents
during the war, accepted him now, since they hoped that
by devoting himself chiefly to internal affairs he would
abandon Nitti's excessively pan-European policy. Mussolini
was inclined to support him if by so doing he could bring
himself nearer power. He announced that Giolitti's
ministerial proclamation e coincided almost exactly with the
fascist postulates *. As to the Popolari, their parliamentary
group had decided, in spite of Don Sturzo's advice to the
contrary, to join the new government.
With his accession to power the serious break of 1914-15
which had split the bourgeoisie in two was mended* There
was no more talk of c neutralists ' and c interventionists '.
Giolitti, the war-resister, c demagogic 9 financier and man
of the Dronero speech, had achieved a real, if temporary,
revival of national unity.