ITALY BACK TO NORMAL

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25550, 19 July 1948, Page 7

ITALY BACK TO NORMAL

General Strike Ended MR TOGLIATTI IMPROVING (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 8.15 p.m.) LONDON. July 17. Italy is back to normal for the first time since the attempt on the life of the Communist leader, Mr Togliatti, who continues to improve. The Cabinet has decided that it is empowered to call up army cias-'ies and brine railway workers, bakers, and other specialist employees into the Army to meet any emergency similar to the one just ended. The Prime Minister (Mr A. de Gasperi) announced yesterday that he would introduce anti-strike legislation in Parliament soon. The Government intended to carry out a democratic experiment in Italy against the return of Fascism and a dictatorship of the extreme Left. The anti-strike legislation would be introduced when conditions were calmer. It was officially announced yesterday that strike casualties totalled seven civilians killed and 86 injured, and seven police killed and 120 injured. Mr Luigi Longo. Mr Togliatti’s associate, in an article in the Rome newspaper “Unita,” said that the strike and disorders were only a warning. “Agitation directed by the Communist labour leaders and supported, particularly in northern Italy, by armed partisans, will continue on a new plane—a plane of mass political and social struggle,” he added. “Only a political change in government can relieve the tension and hate the Government’s policy has created. “The general strike was a solemn warning from the people. De Gasperi and Scelba (the Minister of the Interior) did not hear it.” Anti-Comjnunist labour leaders in Italy’s General Labour Confederation have sent a letter to their Communistdominated executive committee: (1) Denouncing the general strike as a violation of the confederation's constitution. (2) Calling for a conference of Christian Democrat union leaders to “create a democratic autonomous union free of all party influences.” The Rome correspondent of the Associated Press says that the move virtually breaks up the confederation. Deputies Fight A fist fight between Communist and Christian Democrat deputies broke out on the floor of the Chamber of Deputies yesterday as the Communist-La-bour leader (Mr di Vittorio) defended the general strike. Sixteen were wounded, three seriously. in a sharp gun battle yesterday between police and strikers during a demonstration against Bologna workers who returned to their jobs. At Eboli, near Naples, carabinieri fired on a mob which was threatening to overpower them. Ten of the mob were wounded.

Jeering crowds yesterday stoned the first two trams put into service in Milan since the strike began. The drivers’ union said later that the service would be suspended until the police released three union members who were arrested on Thursday. Rioters in Turin overturned two trams. Others last night attacked an arms dump at Lambardore, near Turin, disarmed the guards, and stole a quantitv of war material.

The police say that Antonio Pallante, who shot Mr Togliatti, had Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” in his baggage. Pallante used an old revolver with bullets of solid lead. The shooting was an isolated criminal act. They rule out the possibility that Pallante had accomplices. Pallante told them that he bought the revolver with money which his father gave him to buy books.

ITALIAN MISSION TO LONDON PARLIAMENTARIANS ON WEEK’S VISIT (Rec. 8 p.m.) ROME, July 17. An Italian Parliamentary delegation headed by Mr Eonomi, president of the Senate, and Mr Gronchi, president of the* Chamber of Deputies, will leave Rome to-day on a week’s visit to London as guests of the British Government.