TRIESTE PROPOSAL

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 138, 23 March 1948, Page 3

TRIESTE PROPOSAL

SEVERE BLOW FOR COMMUNISTS “ Russians Placed In v Dilemma ” (N.Z.P.A.—Copyright). LONDON, March 22. “The Western Powers’ proposal to return Trieste to Italy is a severe blow for the Communists, who were planning with the Cominform for ‘ a conciliatory gesture to be made by Yugoslavia ’ in Trieste,” says the Rome correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph.” “The democratic Powers have forestalled any such move.

“The Western Powers’ action will do much to dispel recent anti-British and anti-American feeling in Italy, of which the Soviet Government has lately taken advantage.” The Rome correspondent of the “Manchester Guardian,” quotes the independent newspaper, “II Messagero,” to say that the Western Powers’ decision anticipated a Russian move. The Russians would have proposed the division of the territory in such a way that the British and American garrisons would be removed from the corner of the Adriatic and the Yugoslav troops left in their present position. Russia would also have restored Trieste, city only to Italy. Yugoslavia would then at a suitable moment be able to occupy the undefended city. “The Times,’.’ in a leading article, says:. “The new proposal is justified by present facts —and the importance > of the Italian elections. The Free Territory of Trieste is an abscess on the map of Europe that has sooner or. later to be lanced.” The “Daily Mail” says that the proposal for Trieste marks a turningpoint in the post-war game of power politics. It may yet prove to have stopped the drift to war. It adds that the move is a shrewd stroke which has placed the Russians in a dilemma.

Wide Significance

“The significance of the proposed return pf Trieste goes far beyond its influence on the Italian elections,” says the “New York Times,” in a leading article.

The newspaper links the Trieste proposal with the Freneh-Italian customs union agreement and an expected move by the Western Powers to give 'ltaly trusteeship over some of its former African colonies, and says: “These represent the first ‘ move for the revision of the untenable post-war settlements of the Big Four, which settled nothing. They als6 represent the determination of the Western Powers to seize the initiative in such a revision to restore at least some .of the bulwarks against the Communist menace, which has already precipitated a new world crisis and compels the Western nations to organise in SGIf’^GfCUCS.” The “New York Herald Tribune,” which, like the “New York Times,” applauds the Trieste proposal, says: “It is as shrewd and effective a move , as those the Communists are accustomed to use. It is also fundamentally an honest move, simply stating the basic values which the West has to offer.” ' . An Election Trick

The Belgrade newspaper, “Borba” to-day described the proposal as a manoeuvre to break up the Unitea Nations and a trick to influence opinion,in the Italian elections. “A parade of several hundred youths of the Italian youth movement, Lega Nazionale, was swelled by thousands of all ages as it inade three-mile march through Trieste, says the Trieste correspondent of the Associated Press. “The police did not interfere with the demonstrators so • long, as they marched outside the Slovene sector of the city and the Slavs remained within their sector. “The first reaction of the Slav man-in-the-street to the proposal for the version of Trieste to Italy was: It is a political manoeuvre.’ ” In Milan a rally of more than 30,000 which welcomed the proposal for Trieste developed into monster anti--Communist demonstration. Demonstrators moved on the Czech Consulate and chanted in unison: Masaryk! Masaryk! Masaryk!” < The Milan correspondent of the Associated Press says that a cry of “Viva Trieste!”' raised in Milan s duomo Square, produced fisticuffs between Communists and anti-Commu-nists. The police stopped the fightins. The French Foreign Minister (Mr Bidault) commenting on the Italian reaction to his announcement, said: “I have just been reading the newspapers. I am very pleased. French Right Wing newspapers praised the initiative behind the proposal. „ „ T . The Conservative “Figaro says: It was impossible to prolong the present situation in Trieste. The decision will have profound repercussions troughout the peninsula, and will bring powerful support to the anti-Communist -parties in the electoral battle on Aprd 18.” French Communist newspaper opinion is openly hostile. In Berlin, the Russian - controlled “Berliner Zeitung” claimed- that the Western Powers’ proposal represented a pre-election “sacrificial -eward to win Italy over to the Truman Doc, trine. It added that Trieste s military Government had made the * ree City experiment intentionally unworkable. -,3 Hungarian Sunday newspapers said the proposal was “an aggressive step.” The Communist newspaper, “Szabad Nep,” said the proposal was “a provocative attempt to change tn structure of a hotbed of Italian NeoFascism.”