TALKS THIS MONTH

Chronicle (Levin), 4 January 1947, Page 8

TALKS THIS MONTH

(Spceial GoiTespoxtdent.)

Italian Relations with U.S. and Britain SETTLEMENT OF PROBLEMS

LONDON, Jan .2. British and Ilaiian relations wiJl he diseussed at letigth this month, when. the itatittn 1'oreign Alinister (Signor Nenm;, at the inviiation of jVLr. Bevin, wiJl eome to Loruion and sp'end t'our days exaniining various probiems stiil outstanding between the uvo eounlries.' At Ihe same lime ihe J tahau I'rime Minister (Signor du tinsperi) wili go to Washington to tliscuss similar problems with the I'nited States Govermnent. One of the chief subjeets at l>oth eonferenees will be the revival of italian export trade. Already Britikh and Italian experts have worked ont a plan to increase the fiow of goods between Britain and italy. These pfoposals envisage the interehange 0." British raw materials for Supplifes oi' itulitin textiles, furniture and food, i-hietly fruit and vegetables. It is also ' expected that Signor Xenni will raise the cpiestion of the i'uture of the Italian colonies with J\lr. Bevin. it was agreed by tlie Paris Heace Conference that the deeision about the future adininistration of the italian colonial territories inust be taken witliin a year of the signing of the Italian peaee treaty. It is expected that ltaly will in due course apply for membership of United Natious, and that she will then aslt to be allowed to partieipute in the trusteeship of some of her fonner colonies. As it is proposed shortly to take the neeessary steps to set up a commission to e.xainine this problem, Signor Nenni is expected to put the Italian Ooverunient 's view before Alr. Bevin as soon as possible. The Yorksliire Post 's special correspondent in Rome says that the Italian Uoreign Minister will face a partieularly Oi ftic-iilt domestic situation during ihe week prior to his visit to London. During that week the Italian Soeialist Party, of whieh Signor Xenni is prcsident, will hold its second postwar congress in Rome. At tliis eongress it is expected that a strong seetion of the party, lieaded by Signor Ouisejipe Saragat, the President of the Italian Constituent Assembly, will lead a revolt against Signor Xenni 's policy of eo-opemtion with the Italian t'omniunist Party. Signor Saragat and his supporters fear the growing power of the Cotnmunist.s in Italy, whieh, nurtured by the current sliortages and discontetit, will tend to swamp tlie more moderute Socialists, whereas Signor Xenni coiitends that Ihe Italian Repuhlie is not yet sulfieiently well eslabiished to risk the inevitable eonflict whieh wouht be croated by an open break between ihe Soeinlists and tlie Coinmunists. Causes»of Discontent. According to recent reports from Italy, oue 'of the major eauses of discontent in matiy paris of the country is the contimiing presenee of the British and other oecujiation troops. The troops themselves are bored and want to go home, and the Italians find iheir presenee a eonvenient pretext for expressing their irritation against the present eonditions. The latest of a number of unpleasant incide.nts occurred in Bari, where armoured cars and liglit tanks had to be used to clieck the food riots and general strike whieh paralysed the seaport. This tvas primarily a demonstration against tlie Italian Oovernrnent, but a number of other lesser incidents have involved Allied troops and Italian civilians, One of the chief causes of these is Ihe nnniber of motor aceidpnts in whieh Itailans have been killed or injtired bv military vehicles. Incomplete Italian statistical reports allego thai sim-e October, 1943, more than JdOfl Italians have been killed and 20,00(1

injureu in tlus manner. it was one or these aceidents whieh preeipitated the recent anti-Bfitish demonstrations in Padua and another demonstration in Xaples,- when .a, British di'iver crashed into the paVte>h'ehf;V.h.T|d jiKjryed atv'ftum-( her o=f ..p,ed(e-stnaji1stf; (&li;6 mont is •TefeeeteSCife eff'rt6t»hsf ii^:fhe popular Press. Orie o£ these shows a British ofiiceivdrivii.ng.a jeep afid d^aviug behind hira a trail of dead and iujured. It carries the caption: ' ' Xrtiv tliat wc've dismemberod Italy let us •dismember tlie Italians." Germans Get Too Much Liberty The Italian discontent is not directed solelv against the British; reseutment is also expressed at the almost nnrestricted liberty permitted to many tliousaiuls of German prisoners of war, most of whom are established" in camps in the Rimini and Riecione areas, 111 country over whicli the Ncw Zealand Division fought during the closing stages of the oifensive whieh brokc the Gothic Line. The Italians call this area "Little Germanv" anif complain about the amount of tfansport allowed the Germans in travelling backwards and forwards to varioUs reconstruction jobs on whicli they afe engaged. Another cause for complaint is the number of Italian hotels and other buildings still requisitioned by the occupation forces, despite the wholesale removal of troops. Although the Allied Gommand in Rome has now beett reduced to a mere slceleton staff, several of the best hoteln are still held for the use of Allied personnel. Tt is pointed out by corresponclfents and troops who have recently returncfd from Jtalv that the increasing TthliaTi tendency to complain about the eontinued presenee of occupation troops and various incidents caused in the mai n by the behaviour of irresponsililt individuals is undermining and dcstroy ing much of 'tlie good impressloti croatecl earlier by the Allied troops and Unrra. .. A tne'ssage from Rome says thai about 100 CommOnistS fottglit .with ftd herents of the Uomo Qualuncpie (Rlgltl Wing Party) at Bari, near Xaples last night" and, accarding to tlit Ttalian News Ageney Ansa, thf0( persohs were ifljured.