ABSTRACT
Consideration of the reaction of Italians in Utica to international events in 1915-19 helps put their later reaction to the fascist regime in perspective. The Italian press in Utica reacted very favorably to Italy's entrance into the war. Within a month of the October, 1922 March on Rome, the majority of Italian language publications in the United States voiced approval of the new regime. Utica's Pensiero Italiano remained silent until early December, 1922, but its belated first utterance was most certainly positive. On the evening of June 2, 1924, a meeting was held in Utica to organize a local fascia. Edmonda Mania, representative of the central committee of the Lega Fascista di Nord America told those gathered that a fascia would keep "the flame of love of Italy" alive in Utica. Early on in the Ethiopian crisis, local opponents of fascism attempted to appeal to Italian immigrants to express disapproval of the Duce's policies in East Africa.
