KING OF ITALY ABDICATES

Chronicle (Levin), 11 May 1946, Page 5

KING OF ITALY ABDICATES

ACTION DESCRIBED AS FLIGHT FROM PEOPLE PRINCE UMBERTO SUCCEEDS TO THRONE Ib-reived Fridav, 7 p.m. LOXDOX, .Mav 10. Ari oturia] amiouneement comes from tln- ltalian .Miuistrv of the Koval llmisfiniiit that King Victor Emntanuel has abdieated. The aunouueement a, jds that "according to eustoni, the {diilnatiiig king has gone into voluntary exile. ' ' fhe Assoi-iated Press' Rome corres-ponili-nt savs it is understood that the kin«4 will reside in Cairo. Th'- \ i e-l'reniier, Signoi' Nenni, tohi JJculci 's correspondent that the (uivfimnent was not notified about the alniii-atiun. Prinee Umberto merely told Signor de Gasperi, Minister of Foreign All'airs, that "Mv august jiareat wishes to go abroad and cannot ; do sn uithout abdicating. ' ' Signor .Nenni added: "I eousider the king's (ie]iarttin» as a ftight from tlie people 's veniiei and from the danger that he inigl.t have been summoned by the jieiij.le answer for his deeds. " The Soi ialist Party issued a stateiiient whieli said: Emmanuel 's abdicatimi in fjivonr of a prince who, in peaee and war, was the executor of Faseist orders, will give t.he nation a mu ineentiv e to assert the people's so\ ereignty on June 2." Signor Nenni said it would be impn — '.».!*• under the present cireum-stam-es for a successor to initiate his legiiue and take the customary oath of aeeev^ion. The Constitution required that the oath should be given before a joini iissembly of botli Houses (•1 Pa rliament, whieli at present were imt ftiuetioning. fio.vn Prinee Cmlierto is reported to he usmui ing tlie title of King Umberto II. Sonie quarters believe that the alniiration is likelv to be too late to hiiiopni-e greatlv public opinion at the fnn!n-oijiiii» referenduin. A iuter message says that King M' tor, aecompanied by the Queen and the Pi ini-ess of Piedmont, embarked on tio- n-iser Duca Degli Abruzzi for l'oit Said, stated tlie Rome radio. Fifty trunks n IT!' put aboard. Twp destroyers iM-orted the eruiser. Kb.g Vietor's departure followed an iiitc iiew with Prinee Umberto, who arrive,] in Xaples from Rome, where he had n lengthy conference with Signor de (iasperi.

Signor Xenni, who twice visited Siguu, de (lasperi, was ac-onipanied on tio md oceasion by the Coinmunist lf.-i !ct, Signor Togliatti, who said a't'-i w ards: "T coilsider that the king. 1 :ts -tbead.y abdieated by the action he toii1: nt Xaples in 11)44, when he an-im.ifn-.'d his irrevocable determination ti- witlidraw to private life. " Signor Togliatti expressed the f|]'inion that Crown Prinee Umberto v«i>nh' not be able to take full possessi'Oi of the Royal powers until the Poiistituent Assembly had d'eeided the |nestion. Tlie eruiser on whieh King ATctor embarked had been pfeparing to sail fot Port Said to pick up ltalian war Trt-oeers, but the eaptain three days ago was ordered to hold his ship ready for an important mission.