POWERS ASSUMED BY ITALIAN PREMIER

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24901, 14 June 1946, Page 7

POWERS ASSUMED BY ITALIAN PREMIER

Provisional Head of State

COMMUNIQUE APPEALS TO

PEOPLE

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 8 p.m.) ROME, June 13. An Italian Cabinet communique claiming that the result of the referendum on the Monarchy is already legally effective, and declaring the Prime Minister (Signor de Gasper!) pro, visional Head of the State until the Constituent Assembly meets on June 25, was issued after a three hours’ Cabinet discussion on a letter in which King Umberto undertook to abide by the Supreme Court’s final verdict on the referendum. The communique appealed to all Italians to give the Government their active patriotism and co-operation.

Signor de Gaspen said that he would not take full powers until the Supreme Court’s final announcement, which is expected on June 18. He added that where urgent decrees needed signing he would sign them as “temporary Chief of the State.” It was earlier reported .that Signor de Gasperi and King Umberto had agreed to a formula breaking the present deadlock, namely, that King Umberto, without leaving Italy, would withdraw from the scene pending the Supreme Court’s final pronouncement, leaving Signor de Gasperi as effective Head of the State during this interim period.

The Rome correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says that the lowering of the Royal Standard over the Palace last night indicated that King Umberto might have already left Rome. The Exchange Telegraph Agency’s Rome correspondent says it is reported that King Umberto left Rome by car for the Roval villa at San Rossera, near Pisa.

CLASH IN ROME; NAPLES CALMER

"Ugly brawling occurred on Wednesday Right in the vast Piazza del Popolo, with rival groups throwing stones and beating each other with clubs,” said Reuter’s Rome correspon“Mounted police with drawn sabres dispersed a large crowd carrying flags of the House of Savoy which was converging on the square, but several hundred monarchisis reached the obelisk In the centre, where mounted police and armoured cars hemmed them in. “Mounted police galloped in formation to and fro across the cleared space, while free fights were going on all round the other square, where shutters were down and gates barred. “Monarchist elements were showing strong anti-Allied feeling, cat-calling AHied military officers passing in cars, except General Anders’s Poles/’ The Rome correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph” reports that the crowd in the Piazza del Popolo broke through the police cordon many times. About 8000 people were at one stage scuffling in the piazza, while squadrons of mounted police tried to edge them into side streets. When the square was partially cleared police jeeps, speeding nose to tail as though

round a speedway, formed a moving cordon to prevent reinforcements from reaching the demonstrators. The crowd quietened and began to disperse late in the evening. ‘‘Two .flags are flying over Rome,” said the Associated Press. “The flag of the Kingdom of Italy is still flying from King Umberto’s Palace, while nert far away the Viminale Palace, where the Cabinet is almost constantly in session, flaunts the Republican banner. “Bands armed with long clubs and iron bars roam the streets looking for trouble. Some minor clashes have resulted in broken heads, but no shooting is reported. ’Tt is officially stated that five were killed and 50 wounded in Naples on Tuesday/’ “Twenty-eight were wounded when monarchists and republicans, using hand-grenades and knives, clashed at the naval base at Taranto,” said Reuter’s correspondent in Rojne. After a night of fire and bloodshed, the city of Naples was much calmer on Wednesday morning. At one time the monarchists tried to break into the naval headquarters to seize arms for street fighting. They dashed a large lorry against the gates, but the attempt failed when the gates held.