DANGEROUS TO SPEAK ENGLISH IN PADUA

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 73, 15 January 1947, Page 3

DANGEROUS TO SPEAK ENGLISH IN PADUA

So strong is anti-British feeling in this north Italian town of Padua, that I have been warned not to speak English within the hearing of any Italian civilian, says lan Bevin in an Australian paper. In civilian clothes, I walked through the streets without trouble, but in a restaurant I had to pose as a Frenchman to avoid a disturbance. The anti-British demonstrations here in the last few days have been the worst in any ex-enemy country since the end of the war. Three times Army headquarters in the town has announced that the situation is “apparently under control,” but to my eyes it is anything else but under control.

British headquarters has several times said that the rumour which started the riots that an Italian had been injured or killed by' a British truck—is false. Most Italians, however, still firmly believe that an Italian was killed.

The British say disciplinary action is to be taken against the 140 British soldiers who smashed shop windows during a counter-demon-stration.

Angry crowds of Italian civilians marched through the streets chanting “Get out of Italy, get out of Italy: get out, foreigners.” British military police have had strict orders not to take action against civilians unless to save life, and they have thus been compelled on several occasions to withstand a hail of stones while Italian police merely turned their backs.