BRITISH ATTITUDE TO ITALY CAUSES RESENTMENT

Grey River Argus, 5 November 1949, Page 5

BRITISH ATTITUDE TO ITALY CAUSES RESENTMENT

Who Let The Cat Out ? LONDON, Nov 3. A Reuter’s diplomatic correspondent states.—An article in the American magazine “Newsweek,” entitled “Spanking by Ernie” has embarrassed the British Foreign Office. The article quoted an outspoken memorandum by the Foreign Minister, Mr Ernest Bevin .(criticising Italy for recent anti-British press campaigns. The article showed a leakage in Foreign Office security. It is expected that British officials in Washington will investigate the leak from the security angle. According 'to the Newsweek, Mr Bevin, writing with "typical bluntness,” prepared a memorandum for the private guidance of Foreign Office officials. The magazine quoted Mr Bevin as saying in the memorandum: “I find it incredible that responsible Italian statesmen should throw bricks nt us in this way. I do not see what they can expect to gain by screaming at us. It is regrettable that at a time when we are trying hard to resist outside threats, one member of the democratic world should launch a false and artificial campaign against another. I am constantly hearing about Italian grievances from ??nrd parties, but never from Count Sforza himself. I have bad several free and frank talks with Count Sforza recently and he ecrtainly is not as provoked as the Italian Foreign Of-I flee want us to believe.” Mr Bevin continued: “I will not have my policy changed by press campaigns and similar tactics. I wish the Italians would understand that as a Government, we are not playing a double game but are trying our best to be straightforward, and honest, with the other Powers. I do not, expect Italy’s attitude toward us to improve until the colonial question is out of the way, but I do expect Italian statesmen to keep out of press campaigns.” A Foreign Oilice spokesman said to-day that an anti-British press campaign in Italy “has not affected and will not affect our policy of pursuing good relations with Italy.” ITALY’S GRIEVANCES LONDON, Nov 3. The publication of the Newsweek article brought comment to-day from two major Rome daily newspapers. The independent “11 Tempo”, in an editorial, said: “The British policies were often turned against us. It is a long and painful series of events covering the past four years.” The independent "Giornale d’ltalia’' said: “Maybe Mr Bevin considers as a proof of British friendship the intention to take over the Italian colonies conquered by the money and labour of the Italians; the discarding of Italy from the delicate network of Brussels; the attempt to prevent our entry into the Atlantic Pact; the deliberate exclusion of Italy’s northern frontier rfom the Western defence line and the ‘cheatmg’ of ths pound sterling. Italy has tried to de fend itself from this sort of friendship. For Ernie, friendship i’s a synonym of slavery.”