NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25765, 29 March 1949, Page 5

NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY

Italy To Take Part SENATE APPROVES BY 66 VOTES (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, March 27. The Italian Senate to-night approved of Italy’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty. The decision was made on a motion of confidence in the Prime Minister (Mr Alcide de Gasperi), which was passed by 188 votes to The Italian Foreign Minister (Count Sforza), who had been waiting in Paris, left by air for Washington as soon as the result of the Senate vote was known. The treaty will be signed in Washington on April 4. The Senate’s decision came at the end of seven days of stormy debate. Communist senators tried so strenuously to drown Mr de Gasperi’s championing of the pact that the Senate President (Mr Bonomi) stopped their booing and jeering with a demand that they give respect to Mr de Gasperi as Prime Minister. Some of the Communists surged on to the floor of the Chamber, waving their fists and shouting invective, but they failed to influence the result. Mr de Gasperi denied that Italy would agree to give war bases, and said that no invitation to Spain to join the pact was “foreseen.” Mr de Gasperi said that if there were another war Italy would inevitably be involved, because the Po Valley would be the objective of the East, and the Mediterranean and Italy the obiective of the West. Referring to the statement by the Italian Communist leader (Mr Togli- I atti) that Italian Communists would support the Red Armv in the event of war with Russia, Mr de Gasperi said: “I hope that one dav all barriers will be wined out. and there will be a United States of Europe. Until then it will be a crime to teach that desertion is the duty for one section of Italians.’’ After the vote. Communist senators submitted a motion that Italy should sign immediately a frjpndshin and pact with Russia and other Europ°an countries. The Senate defeated the motion by 176 votes to 105.