ITALY TO JOIN WESTERN POWERS

Grey River Argus, 23 April 1948, Page 5

ITALY TO JOIN WESTERN POWERS

CHRISTIAN PARTY’S ABSOLUTE MAJORITY

(Rec. 10.35) LONDON, April 22. .One result of the Italian elections is that Italy now is likely to join the Western Union with Britain, France and the three Benelux countries.

Mr Ernest Bevin made it clear, from the beginning, that Italy would be welcomed as a member. Count Sforza, the Italian Foreign Minister, has stated that Italy would be willing to join bn a basis of equality with the founder members. The Daily Herald’s diplomatic correspondent points out that it obviously would have been pointless to start negotiations as long as there was the possibility that there might be an Italian Government hostile to the whole area. There is no longer that reason for delay, and conversations now may begin even before a new Italian Government has been formally installed.

LATEST VOTING FIGURES ROME, April 21. The Christian Democrats have gained h clear majority in ooth the Italian Senate and the House of Deputies. They won 303 seats in the Deputies and 130 in the Senate. The Popular Front won 178 seats in the Deputies and 74 in the Senate. The strength of the parties in the Deputies is:— Christian Democrats 303 Popular Front 178 Socialist Unity 29 National Bloc 15 Monarchists 12 Republicans 6 Italian Social Movement 4 South Tyrol Party 3 Sardinian Action Party 1 Italian Feasant Party 1 There are 22 seats to be allotted from the national pool, which provides seats from the residue of all the votes and seats left over from the voting districts after the system of proportional representation is worked out. These seats may be distributed as follows: —Christian Democrats, 4; Popular Front, 4; Socialist Unity, 4; Republicans, 3; National Bloc, 3; Monarchists, 2; Italian Social Movement, 2. Now that Italy has decisively repelled the Communist election challenge, the first steps may be taken on April 26 at a meeting of the Consultative Council of the Western Union to bring Italy in as a sixth member of the Western Union, with Britain, France, and the Benelux countries. The parties’ strength in the Senate will be: Christian Democrats 130;. Popular Front 74: Socialist Unity 13’ National Bloc 9; Monarchists 4; Republicans 3; Independents of Trentino 3; Italian Social Movement 1. A total of 107 nominated senators chosen for their service to the resistance movement and as Fascist opponents will comprise: Christian Democrats 18: Popular Front 45; Socialist Unity 12; Nationalist Bloc 18; Monarchists 4; Republicans 6: Independents 3; Italian Social Movement 1. , ... The new Italian Parliament will meet on May 8 to elect new officers, and on May 10 to elect a new President. . It is expected that Signor Enrico Denicola will be re-elected .President if he will accept. ' . . , Some Socialists who .joined the Popular Front with Signor Nenm are, as expected, now showing signs of wishing to leave it.

THE POPE PLAYED A MAJOR PART

LONDON, April 21 Reporting an interview with the Rope, the roreign editor of the Daily Express says: "Nothing he said upsets my belief that the Vatican has thrown down in recent weeks a challenge of profund importance in our time." commenting that the Pope has tne privilege of a sovereign, never to be quoted, the foreign editor continues: ‘•The Italian Communists, who until the elections were the most powerful Communist Party in Europe, are full of helpless fury at what has happened. They deciare that if, as seems likely, the nation’s verdict goes against them, it is because for the tirst time the Church has pome out openly on the election platform. “With the start 01 the election campaign, war was unequivocally declared. The verdict will be for all to see. The Pope himself fired the first shot with a speech that startled Italy. ‘The hour of Christendom has struck, he cried. ‘He that is not with me is against me.’ “In Alcide, de Gasperi, the Premier who has thrown the Communists out. of his coalition Government, the Pope recognised a paladin of the Faith. If Italy was to be made a proving ground of communism in the West, then war aid must go to de Gasperi Communists, sensing defeat, pointed bitterly to the de Gasperi posters, some of which said quite simply, ‘Vote Christian.’ They railed at the priests who denied absolution to those backing the Communists. They denounced incessant clerical intervention in politics—‘a Christian Democrat in every pulpit’—and certainly some of the sermons preached in Italy painted the perils of Communism in more vivid colours than any danger of heii fire. . x “Finally, the Communists sneereu angrily at the sudden crop of ‘political miracles’ which has shocked the country people into renewed piety. And what they ask, is the meaning of Father Lombardi. who plays the part of Peter the Hermit in this twentieth century Crusade, setting alight the industrial north with anti-Commupist speeches for which he claims Divine Inspiration? What, the Communists demaml, can they do to counter this new offensive of what has so suddenly become in all sense the Church Militant? . T, 1 "Palmiro Togliatti, the Popular Front leader and No. 1 Communist of Western Europe, decided before the election that he would win over church-goers with appeasement. Bin the citadel of world Catholicism will not fall to guile, and when at the last hour Togliatti switched to a fear campaign, threatening that they would know if the people voted anti- Communist, the Christian Democrats whipped out the slogan, ‘God sees you inside the polling booth! Stalin doesn’t.’ "Most of the credit for bringing the Church out of its traditional nonpolitical role belongs to the personality and skill of the present Pope Pius XII, formerly Cardinal Pacelli. still acts as his own Secretary of State or policy-maker. He works from 6 a.m. to 3 a.m—a 21-hour day—and takes all major decisions for himself.”

How Europe Takes the Results

LONDON, April 21.

The reaction throughout European countries, except those Communist dominated, was heartfelt relief at the results of the Italian elections. Belgium: Government circles de-

scribed the results as an element of stability in Europe and a new step towards security in the West. ' Italy: The independent newspaper, Il Tempo, said the Mediterranean would not now become a Slav seq. The threat of imminent war had receced.

France: The newspaper Le Figaro said the result was one in which all friends of peace would rejoice. Germany: The Soviet-licensed Berliner Zeitung said that in view of the many adverse phychological factors it was astonishing the Popular Front had done so well.

Norway: The newspaper Afton Posten said that Communism was being beaten in all countries where free elections could be held. London: The leader of the Young Conservatives, Mr Quintin Hogg, M.P., said the Italian election result, was a victory for the Vatican. "The Italians, with the choice of Catholicism or Communism, have chosen the Church”. Mr Alfred Edwards, M.P., who was recently in Czechoslovakia, said the result showed very clearly why the Communists could not face an election in Czechoslovakia. I Moscow: The radio alleged that the 'Christian Democrats, aided by the Church and its lay organisation, had i before the elections arranged a “detailed system of intimidation and election forgeries”. Czechoslovakia: The Communist newspaper, Rude Pravo, uses the headline, “American Intervention Didn’t Break Italian People’s Strength”.

No Peace for Europe Under Russian Domination

CHURCHILL’S VIEW

(Rec 11.10) LONDON. Anril 22. ‘‘l hear people sav of th« Soviet aggressions and intrigues: ‘Thus far; and no farther.’ That is, no doubt, a widely held resolve. Bui we must not delude ourselves! There will never be peace in Europe while Asiatic. imperialism and Communist domination rule over the whole or Central and Eastern Europe.” Air Churchill, commenting in London on the Italian elections, said that Italy had saved herself for the time being from the Bolshevik • dictatorship of Stalin. Italy had now regained her place in the ranks of the P r J n “ ripal European Powers, instead of being, like so many unhappy countries, made to live in the cage with the bear.

De GasperFs Pledge

to Defend Liberty

ROME. April 21. The triumphant leader of the Christian Democrats, Signor de Gasperi, told a vast crowd Jhat his party was determined to defenu liberty in every way possible. Picked carabinieri, . in smart blue uniforms and high .jackboots, he.d hack the crowd, which consisted ot prosperous businessmen, street-clean-ers news boys, shawled old .women, and a large * percentage of Prie*lS-white-cowled monks and bearded fl Signor de Gasperi said: “We must attain freedom for the parties, freedom for association, and freedom lor trade unions. There is work for every individual in this programme . rhe Premier said the Christian Democrats wanted to reach an agreement with the other anti-Communist parties on foreign policy. . The Minister of the Interior,, oignoi Secelba, declared the Right. Wing victory was a good omen for the stability of Italy’s political future. The Right Wing Socialist leader, Signor Saragat, said the result showed the Italian peoples will remain faithful to democratic institutions. Police in armoured cars broke up a meeting of 2000 Communists in Carignolie. x „ Police made 2'4 arrests during fighting between Communists and anti-Communists in Milan’s Cathedral square last night. . It is learned that the Communist leader, Signor Togliatti, “as a formality", may offer his resignation as secretary-general of Italy’s Communist Party, but . the resignation will promptly be rejected. The secretary of Signor Nenni si Left Wing Socialist Party, Signor Legio Basso; said the Commumst-allied-Socialists will formally protest against the election result on the ground of “irregularities”. He added: “If the Government . makes a step against legality, we will resist as did the Austrian Socialists in 1943—with weapons”. He predicted continued Socialist opposition to the Marshall Plan, but added: “We will accept the plan as a natural fact. We will try only to prevent it from being used to strengthen the big capitalists pcsiThe Communist leader, . Signor Togliatti, declared the elections had not been free. When asked if he meant that the Communists would not accent the election results, Togliatti replied that the Italian Communists had already said they would not .e--sort to force. We repeat that that is not our intention”, he added. Communists Threaten

“Dangerous Tension”

ROME, April 21. • “I fear relations between the Government and the people will shorty undergo dangerous tension , said M. Luigi Longo, vice-secretary of the Communist Party and Communist military leader in Italy. “The election results do not mean the end or the Communist Party, but only a delay in the development of the party s plans”, he said. Communist-led rioting and demonstrations against the election results have broken out in several parts of Italy. In the Foggia area, the police used tear-gas to break up crowds of Left Wing demonstrators. Ten were injured during the rioting.