PLEA BY ITALY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21753, 30 June 1945, Page 6

PLEA BY ITALY

FORMAL PEACE PACT I ■ " RETURN OF NORTH ZONE POLICY PROCLAIMED LONDON, June 27. The new Italian Government announced a programme calling for the earliest termination of tire armistice regime and the conclusion of a formal peace treaty with the Allies and the quick restitution of the northVn industrial region, which is ruled by the Allied Military Government. The Associated Press correspondent in Rome says that the announcement asserted that the new Italy repudiated “every nationalistic, imperialistic and militaristic tendency.” and described the British- American-Yugoslav accord on Venezia Giulia as unsatisfactory. It declared ihat Italy wanted ultimately to settle the issue by direct negotiation with Yugoslavia. Food, reconstruction and employment were the most urgent problems. The extent of Allied help would be conditioned by the degrees of seriousness with which the Italian Government carried out its programme. It is reported from Bari that reinforcements and tanks were sent to a town 40 miles west of Bari after a band of raiders had seized control of the town. The raiders stormed the carabinieri headquarters and freed 13 prisoners arid cut off all communications. The town is now surrounded by Italian and Allied troops.