JOYOUS CELEBRATIONS BY TRIESTE ITALIANS

Chronicle (Levin), 23 March 1948, Page 5

JOYOUS CELEBRATIONS BY TRIESTE ITALIANS

Received Monday, 6.30 p.m. LONDON, March 22. A big parade oi several huudved youths oi' the italian 'youth movemen;, l.ega Nazionale, waa suelled by thoua iinds of all ages as it made a three mile march througlx Trieste, saya the Associated Press corresponvlettt. - The police did not interfere tt'ith thg Jletn.on strators as long a.s- they, m^rcJfdtl %ut •' >ide §ectQi'«v'oP' the ci^L shi'vs" reiuained tt'ithin their sector. The ftrst reaction of the Slav man in-the-street to the reversion of Trieste to Italy was: "It is a politicai manoeuvre. " in Milan a rally of more than 30,00' to i-elebrate Trieste 's return to Italy developed into a monster anti-t'ommuu-•ist demonstration. The demo.nstraioi> moved on the Czech Consulate and chanted in unison: "Masaryk, Masaryk, Masaryk!" A Rome message states that 1000 daily uewspapers throughout Italy, also tlie largest news agency, Ansa, weru strike-bound at midnight last nighi. The Cominunist-controlied union of tvpograpliers came off their jobs for at least 24 hours in support of the prinr ers' demand for a 34 per cent. wag> increase. "Now we see on which side our friends are," said the independent nevvspaper, ll Tempo. Another Italian independent paper, Messagero, said: "For the ftrst time since 1943 tlie Wes-

tern Powers have anticipated the Soviet in presenti ng ti constructiva propo'sal on one of the most dalicate and dangerous international issites. " Reports from Belgrade- and Slav Communist circies had made it khown that the Communist 'Governments coutemplated an -insihious division of the territory, which would have meant the withdrawal of the British and American forces, but the retention oi Yugoslav troops.. Trieste city wouia then have been giyexi to Itsily, but tfte reiuainder of tlie free .territory wouid have gone to Yugoslavia." At. Bidault, comxnenting on the Italian reaction to his amlouneement, said: "I have just been reading the newspapers. I am very pleased.J ' The Associated Press Milan correspondent says tlie ery of "Viva Trieste'-' raised in Milqn's Duomo Square prodnced tisticuffs between the Communists and anti-Cqmmuiiists. The police stopped, the iighting.

Hostile Communist Comment, The proposal to retairn Trieste to Etaly was an attempt to drag Italy into the war atmosphere and to sow diseord bettt'een Italy and Yugoslavia, said tlu Etaliau Counuunist leader (Signor Raliniro Togliatti) in Rome to-day. The radio. announceiuent of the Trieste proposal surprised the Yugoslavs, says the Associated Press Belgrade cor_ respondent. Diplomats said that the" Yugoslav authorities would not react /.Until they had legrned- Russia 's. line. : t Th'O; Goftinjtijii st -me wspa ] ) er. ' B o r lui, * "ftticter tlie iieadlirie "Iiuperialist* • mh.iioeuvres with Trieste before the Italian elections," gave only tlie barest facts without comment. Hungarian Sunday neu-spapers said the proposal was an 1 ' aggressi ve step." , The Communist newspaper, Szabad Nep, said the .proposal was a "provocative attempt to change the structure of 'the hotbed. of Italian neoFaseism. " - In Berlin.the Eussian-controlled Berliner Zeitung. claimed the Western Powers' proposal that Trieste be ro turned to Italy re.presented a preelection ' ' saerificial reu'ard " to win Italy over to- the Truman doctrine. The newspaper added that Trieste '& Military Government made the free city experiment intentionall}^ unworkable. French Press Pleased. French Right Wing newspapers praised the initiative behind the Trieste proposal. Tlie Conservative newspaper to Figaro said it was impossible to prolong the present situation in Trieste. The deeision would have a profouna repereussions throughout the peninsula,! -and would bring powerful support to the anti-Communist part'ies in the electoral liattle on' April IS. French Communist newspaper opinion was openlv hostile. Reuter 's W^ashington correspondent says that the United Btates ofnciais are considering three further measures of assistance to Italy: — (1) The transfer of Eritrea and Italian Sonvaliiand to an Italian trusteeship. (2) An offer by Greece with support, aiid presumabiy the finaneial assistance of the Western Powers, to renounce her reparations from Italy if Russia and her satellites renoyttee theirs. (3) The revival of the attempt by the Western Powers to persuade Russia tp. withdraw hev veto of the itaiian membership in United Nations.