MR TOGLIATTI WOUNDED

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25547, 15 July 1948, Page 5

MR TOGLIATTI WOUNDED

Leader of Italy’s Communists CONDITION SAID TO BE SERIOUS (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, July 14. The Rome correspondent of the Associated Press says that a wouldbe assassin shot and injured the Italian ' Communist leader, Mr Palmiro Togliatti, as he left the Chamber of Deputies. Police arrested the assailant. After receiving first-aid in the chamber infirmary, Mr Togliatti was taken to hospital for an operation. The chief surgeon at the hospital described his condition as serious. The semi-official news agency, Ansa, reports that bullets struck Mr Togliatti in the spleen, below a lung, and in the head. The Prime Minister (Mr de Gasperi) said when he arrived at the Chamber after the shooting: “It is the worst thing that could have happened.” The Chamber of Deputies suspended its session. All troops in the Milan area are confined to barracks in a general alert. A general strike has been called in Milan, and large-scale demonstrations have been ordered for this afternoon. The Communist-controlled General Labour Confederation has summoned its executive to a secret session. The British United Press says mat the assailant was a 25-year-old Sicilian student named Ballante, who came to Rome three days ago. Ballante waited

in a narrow street alongside the Assembly building. He rushed out as Mr Togliatti left and fired four shots at point-blank range. The Associated Press says that Lie attack on Mr Togliatti came as the Extreme Left agreed to continue _.s “unity of action” pact against Mr de Gasperi’s Government. Mr Togliatti, Who was trained in Moscow, has bitterly opposed Italian participation in the European recovery Programme, contending that it would enslave Italians to the American economy.

DAIRY PRODUCE AGREEMENT Longer Term; Higher Prices Forecast N.Z. NEGOTIATIONS IN BRITAIN (From A. W. MITCHELL. Special Correspondent, N.Z.P.A.) LONDON, July 13. The statement by the Minister of Food (Mr John Strachey) in the House of Commons that he was negotiating a seven years’ contract for New Zealand dairy products—“something new in the history of this country and New Zealand”—and that he hoped to be able to announce the conclusion of this agreement soon, was the first official reference made here to the British Food Ministry’s talks with members of the New Zealand Dairy Commission. Following accepted custom, no details have been announced of the negotiations while the talks are proceeding, nor are any likely to be known until a joint announcement is made by the Ministry and the New Zealand Government. Though no official or unofficial confirmation is available, it is understood that in addition, to securing a longer term contract with Britain, New Zealand will receive a higher price for her butter and cheese. It is also believed that this increase will be in accordance with “terms of trade.” That is to say, that since New Zealand is now paying higher prices for British imports, she will receive an increase in the payment for . her produce to enable her to meet this rise. It is also understood that “lump -sum” payments have not been considered during the negotiations. This is a reasonable deduction, since previous payments were independent of price and no provision was made for them to be paid beyond this year. There is some doubt, it appears, whether the British Government, as part of the new agreement, will be able to guarantee to New Zealand the supply of exports essential to production —for instance, fencing wire and agricultural implements. This is due partly to the shortage of steel and to contracts already made to supply other countries which are sending produce to Britain. In order to assist New Zealand to receive such supplied, however, it is a fair assumption that the British Government, as a last resort, will make an additional allocation of dollars to the Dominion to allow requirements to be obtained from the United States as a temporary measure. The negotiations are now obviously in their final stages, since both Mr W. Marshall, chairman of the New Zealand Dairy Commission, and Mr G. M. Pottinger, the general manager, are due to leave London by air for Wellington on Thursday.

Meat Negotiations Meanwhile, the Ministry of Food is still engaged Jn talks with the Secretary to the Treasury (Mr B. C. Ashwin) and members of the New Zealand Meat Marketing Board, who are hoping to leave London on July 22. No details’ of these talks are available either, but it is believed that they tally in many respects with the- butter negotiations. Though no confirmation can be had, it is believed likely that New Zealand has asked for a sevenyear meat contract as well as higher prices, since the “terms of trade” are substantially adverse to New Zealand at present. But the meat position is difficult in view of Britain’s arrangements with Argentina and Australia. One of the points made by Mr Strachey in his speech was that Britain’s problem in the next 12 months ’ would be that of the balance of payments—not of what food she could get, but what she could pay for. The world food prospect, he said. wa§ improving in availability, particularly of cereals, compared with six or nine months ago. The question was one of raising Britain’s exports sufficiently to pay for that food. . Much of Britain’s export effort had been nullified by the worsening of the terms of trade, but he believed that the downward tendency in the price of wheat would continue and would be of vital assistance.