Italian Decision To Join The Atlantic Pact

Wanganui Chronicle, 29 March 1949, Page 5

Italian Decision To Join The Atlantic Pact

Communists Fail In Strenuous Attempts

To Influence Vote

LONDON, March 28 (Rec. 8.30 pm).—ltaly, last night, was the tenth nation to join the Atlantic Pact, which is being signed at Washington on April 4.

The Italian Foreign Minister, Count Sforza, who had been waiting in Paris, left by air for Washington as soon as the result of the Italian Senate vote was known. The Senate approved Italy’s participation in the pact by 188 votes to 122 on a vote of confidence in Signor de Gasperi. The Senate's decision came at the end of seven days’ stormy debate. The Communists tried so strenuously to drown. Signor de Gasperi’s championing of the Pact that the Senate President. Signor Bonomi, stopped their booing and jeering with a demand that they give respect, to Signor de Gasperi as Prime Minister. Some of the Commuunists surged on to the floor of the Chamber waving their firsts and hurling invective but they failed to influence the result. Signor de Gasperi denied that Italy agreed to give war bases and that no invitation to Spain to join the Pact was “foreseen.”

Signor de Gasperi said if there was another war Italy would inevitably be involved, because the Po Valley would be the objective of the East and the Mediterranean, and Italy the objective of the West. He added: “We would end up with a Gothic Line which would split the country in two.” Referring to the Italian Communist leader Togliatti’s statement that Italian Communists would support the Red Army in the event of war with Russia. Signor de Gasperi said: “I hope one day that all barriers will be wiped out and there will be a United States of Europe. Until then, it will be a crime to teach that desertion is a duty for one section of Italians.” After the vote Communist Party Senators submitted a motion demanding that Italy should sign immediately a friendship and non-aggression pact with Russia and other East European countries. The Senate defeated the motion by 176 votes to 105.