COMMUNIST TACTICS IN ITALIAN ELECTION CAMPAIGN

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 April 1948, Page 5

COMMUNIST TACTICS IN ITALIAN ELECTION CAMPAIGN

LONDON, April 5. The Genoa correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, after a 1000-mile tour of the industrial area of northern Italy, says that there is evidence that Communist influence there is declining. It is generally forecast in the north that the Communists and their Left-Wing Socialist allies will not poll more than a third of the votes in the elections on April 18. Recent trade union elections in factories, he adds, provide a significant pointer. A large industrial plant in Genoa, which previously was almost unanimous in its support of Communist and Left-Wing Socialist delegates has just shown a majority poll in favour of Christian Democrats. The' London correspondent of the New Zealand Press Association says that surveys by correspondents of British newspapers of the political situation in Italy during the present election campaign continue to suggest that the Communist Popular Front will not win a majority at the polls. „ ... One point which emerges from thenreports is the fear that a section of the 29 000,000 voters will not go to the polls. It is said that one of the greatest electoral dangers is political apathy among parts of the population, particularly among the uneducated classes of the south. The Government is anxious.that as many as possible should cast their i votes, believing that the Communists | through their local clubs and cells I will get all their-votes and that stay-at-homes are bound to be potential anti-Conlmunist supporters. The Prime Minister (Mr A. de Gasperi), backed by the Church, is therefore urging everyone to vote, and Government slogans include exportations such as: “Vote for whom y °At P thl Se s’am^ t time'the Communists realise that the small tenant farmer and especially the labourer will often vote for the Popular Front under pressure from the local Communis Party. Many of their posters m small villages declare: “Don’t wote for any Party Vote for the Popular Front. z It ,? s said to be a-powerful slogan especially when accompanied by a visit from a canvasser, who says: My good people, if you are in doubt stay at ! hPme All this party talk is no good ” 1 Freouently they say: “We are for the Popular Front here—you had better stay at home on the eighteenth. One explanation of the fact that many Italians seem convincing that they should vote is that veneration of Fascism stamped out a ! proper appreciation of voting. : Women in particular seem laggard. They obtained the suffrage only m I 1046 They are a majority of the electorate and are considered the major I stronghold of anti - Cojnmumsm, largely because of their Catholic sentiments.