Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1945. CRISIS IN ITALY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 46, 4 December 1945, Page 2

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1945. CRISIS IN ITALY

Italy has not had a General Election for a quarter of a century, but present indications are that the people at long last will soon be given an opportunity of electing their own representatives. In the meantime, following the resignation of the Prime Minister, Signor Parri, the six Italian political parties have nominated Signor de Gasperi for the position of Prime Minister, and he 'has conditionally accepted Prince Umberto’s invitation to undertake the formation of a Government based on the six parties, with the co-operation of outside elements. The crisis in Itaty is in' some’ respects similar to that experienced in a number of countries in recent months, but there are some exceptions. The Italian people possibly because they have been under the heel of a dictator for so long, have not evinced a very great interest in politics, and for that reason they cannot be expected to know very much of the problems facing the country. The country has been-a happy hunting ground for organisations of the lawless type, and their activities have been such as to deter the people from evincing too much interest in affairs which may savour of politics. Any basis for the social life of the population, it has been stated, is lacking, and the the choice is corruption, looting and the black market or starvation. Food riots have occurred in several places and cost-of-liv-ing bonuses have only slightly improved the situation since costs have risen by 700 per cent, since Italy entered the war. In the North, physical conditions are slightly better, but the position there is still difficult because of the greater political consciousness in that industrialised area and the fact that the people have had less time to adjust themselves to their new status. After the liberation of Northern Italy, it became necessary for a new Government representative of the whole country to be formed and, in June, Signor Bonomi’s Cabinet resigned to make this possible, (The six Italian political parties then unanimously agreed that Signor Ferruccio Parri, an outstanding figure in the Resistance Movement with a long record as an ardent anti-Fascist, should undertake the task. Signor Parri sought to bring order out of chaos, and he formed a Government in which the parties were equally represented. For a period order prevailed, but wlipn the Liberals did not succeed in securing the inclusion of some of the “elder statesmen” they resigned, and this action has been the cause of the present crisis. Reports of demonstrations show that Signor Parri is still popular, and he may come back to power when the people express * their wishes through an election.