GOVERNMENT OF ITALY

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28270, 7 May 1957, Page 14

GOVERNMENT OF ITALY

Fear Of Break In Coalition

(Rec. 11 p.m.) ROME, May 5. The Italian Government was on the verge of collapse tonight after the Vice-Premier, the SocialDemocrat Leader, Mr Giuseppe Saragat, had urged his party to pull out of the Government. Mr Saragat did not make clear whether the party ought to resign from the Government immediately or at a later date. If the party accepts his suggestion, the Cabinet, headed by a Christian Democrat, Mr Antonio Segni, will be deprived of a majority in Parliament. The Cabinet has been in office for 22 months. Mr Saragat spoke at a party meeting today. His demand came as a surprise because until recently he strongly opposed a withdrawal from the Government demanded by the Leftist group of his party. “Continued participation by our party in the Government,” he said, “would be a useless sacrifice.” He claimed that small groups within the coalition parties were undermining co-operation for their own ends. The Cabinet includes Christian Democrats, Social Democrats, and Liberals. “We do not reject the policy of democratic solidarity. We simply find that the Government is today too weak effectively to carry out reforms,” said Mr Saragat. “The illusion that communism is no longer a peril has loosened relations among the democratic parties.” He also thought that the withdrawal of the Social Democrats from the Government would help the projected merger with Mr Pietro Nenni’s Left-wing Socialist Party, (vhich until recently was allied to the Communists.

Volcano Investigations. The Government geologist, Mr Tony Taylor, will attempt a descent of Lamonai Volcano tomorrow morning. A report from Ferguson Island today said that a route to the crater floor had been found. On Saturday there were no obvious dangerous changes in the volcano.—Port Moresby, May 6.