AOSTA VALBEY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 146, 22 June 1945, Page 6

AOSTA VALBEY

U.S. TAKING OVER

GRADUAL RETURN TO ITALY j (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyriflht.) Rec. 1 p.m. LONDON, June 21. American troops are taking over the Aosta Valley " from the French, and everything was proceeding, smoothly, stated Field-Marshal Alexander,-speak-ing in Milan. He added that." the transfer probably would be complete within ten days, after which the territory would gradually be handed back to Italian administration, unless another dispute arose with the French, in which case, the British and American troops would remain as trustees., Field-Marshal Alexander said that the Allied military Governments were gradually withdrawing from Italy, but would remain in the" disputed zones of Venezia Guilia, the Aosta Valley, and the South Tyrol until the peace settlement. He added that the Trieste agreement was being carried out smoothly. Field-Marshal Alexander, who lunched with Allied and Italian generals, beckoned into a Press conference the Italian general Cadorna, whose partisans played an active part in Northern Italy, and General Utili, commander of the Legnano group in the Bth Army. Field-Marshal Alexander said: "These regular Italian army groups have done damned well. They are good soldiers, given good leadership and equipment." He added that there was no military reason why the Italian armistice terms could not be published, but there might be upheavals, and Allied troops might be required to maintain order if the people thought the terms were too hard. He believed that the Italians, by their ' contribution to the final stages of the war, had "worked their passage" to a better status than' cobelligerency. ,