RUSSIA BREAKS SILENCE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 137, 22 March 1948, Page 3

RUSSIA BREAKS SILENCE

Comment on Trieste Proposal

MOVE BEHIND HER BACK (N.Z.P.A.—Copyright). (Rec. 11 a.m.) LONDON, March 21. The proposal to return Trieste to Italy was an attempt to drag Italy into the war atmosphere, and sow discord between Italy and Yugoslavia, said the Italian Communist Leader, Palmiro Togliatti in Rome to-day.

However, Guiseppe Brusasca, Italian Foreign Under-Secretary, told M. Bidault publicly: “Your message about Trieste was the greatest prize you could have given us. Your reference to the Italian colonies also filled us with hope.” Reuter’s correspondent quotes reliable source© that M. Bidault and Signor de Gasperi will discuss to-morrow Italian participation in the Western Union Alliance. . A highly-placed Italian diplomat said “Italy is now morally in the Western Union.” Centre and Rightist circles believe the Italian Treaty will generally be revised. •

The Italian independent newspaper “Massagero,” said: “For the first time since 1943, the Western Powers have anticipated the Soviet in presenting a constructive proposal on ,pne of the most delicate and dangerous interna-

tional issues.”-' - Reuter’s Washington correspondent says that United States officials are considering three further measures of assistance to Italy: (1) The transfer of Eritrea and Italian Somaliland to Italian trusteeship; (2) an offer by Gieece, with support and presumably financial assistance of the Western Powers, to renounce her reparations from Italy, if Ruseia and her satellites renounce theirs; (3') revival of the attempt by the Western Powers to persuade Russia to withdraw her veto of Italian membership of the United Nations. <■ Moscow radio, breaking its silence <hi the Western Powers’ proposal to return Trieste to Italy, t said that Britain, the United State© and France “intended to revise the peace treaty with Italy behind the back of the Soviet Union. Their most important aim is to force Italian electors to vote for reactionary parties which are agents of the United States. The declaration is by no means motivated by concern for the Italian people, as its originators try to make out.” '*>