DEMOCRATS' EARLY LEAD

Chronicle (Levin), 20 April 1948, Page 5

DEMOCRATS' EARLY LEAD

Counting of Record Italian Vote Begins

Received Tuesday, 11.5 ia.m. ROME, April 1&. The Senate results in Rome ; so f ar issued give a lead to the Christian Democrats, but the figures represent only a small, proportion of the electorate. Ballot boxes, guarded by police, were opened throughout Italy at mid-day (G.M.T.), and the counting of what is expected to be a record vote was begun. The votes for the 237 members of the Senate will be counted first, followed by those for, the Chamber of lieputies. ' Early unofficial Senate figures for about one-third of the Milan sections show the following figures: — Christian Democrats, 1128,003 ; Communist Popular Front, 83,314; Rightwing Socialists, 48,602; National Bloc, 1000. Christian Democrat head-. quarters in Rome said they were sure of victory. The Christian Democrat secretary, Senior Piccioni, said : "This is victory without precedent." The Times' Rome correspondent said polling on Sunday passed off smoothly with a universal response. Even the church rallied its followers. Lorries brought clozens of nuns to perl'orm their important secular duty. Many invalids were carried to the polls in the arms of their friends, on stretchers from ambulances or hobbled there on crutches. A private opinion poli in Milan indicated that the 'Christian Democrats will win. In Rome yesterday bookmakers offered odds of betweeh nine to two and eleven to two against a Communist victory. Political observers be'lieve1 the Russian reiection of the: Western Powers' move to return Trieste to Italy will lose the Communists teh of thousands of votes. There is little doubt that Russia has been o'ut-i manoeuvred by the Western Powers in the election.