Italy Determined on No Barter for Trieste

Grey River Argus, 25 March 1948, Page 3

Italy Determined on No Barter for Trieste

(Rec. 9.0). LONDON, March 24. The Times Rome correspondent says that a Foreign Ministry spokesman announced yesterday that, in no circumstances, will the Italian Government consent to barter Trieste against Gorizia. In language, which had obviously been inspired by a higher authority, the spokesman said: ‘‘Clearly, Italy cannot accept a solution of the Trieste problem which entails the bartering of one piece of Italian flesh against another”. This, he added, was the answer to a Belgrade proposal that Italy couid have Trieste, if Gorizia were ceded to Yugoslavia. SCEPTICISM IN LONDON AS TO OFFERS With Trieste, and ,'n all likelihood, Italy’s former African colonies, being used as electioneering baits by the Big Powers in the Italian general election, a question which the man in the street in Britain is beginning to ask himself is whether a Communist coup will be attempted, in Italy before or after the elections, and, if so, what action 'will the Western Powers take.

Cynical comment heard in London to-day on the Trieste request was: “ft sounds like Poland all over again”— a reference to Mr Neville Chamberlain’s guarantee to Poland, before the war, which in no way prevented that country being overrun by the Nazis. Bearing in mind the American dislike of sending troops abroad —for example, to Palestine—theer is a tendency to wonder what the United States, Britain and France would do if, for instance, Yugoslavia decided to adopt strong-arm measures over Trieste, in which she would obviously be backed by Russia. COMMUNIST INFLUENCE IN WEST EUROPE Such questions are bringing home to the British people the importance of the Italian elections—the first Parliamentary elections since the Fascist coup of 1922 —which, in addition to deciding the nature of the new Italian Government, will also. (1) Indicate whether the Cominform can hope to carry its attack on democracy beyond the Slav world. (2) Strongly influence political development in France. (3) Have an important effect on the organisation of the Western European democracies for joint ?'<?- covery under the Marshall Plan.

ITALIAN ELECTION PROSPECTS Manv assessments of the .political situation in Italy have been published in London during the last few days. They state that there are 99 separate political parties and groups in Italy, 22 of which are likely to put up lists for the election. The new Parliament will meet after the elections, in Maj', when it will proceed to elect Speakers for the Upper and Lower Houses. A new President, of the. Republic witl then be elected, who will slrmmon the political leader he thinks most likely to command a majority, and ask him to form a government. PREDICTIONS ON VOTING One assessment of the possible voting has been made by the Dox (statistical) Institute of Milan. In a Gallup poll forecast based on a 100 per cent, vote and the suggestion that Italian women will lean to the Right, it estimates that: 36 per cent, of the votes will go to Signor De Gasperi’s Christian Democrats. 13 per cent, to the Left Centre (Republicans and Socialists), 14 per cent, to the Right group groups (Liberals. Homo Qualunque, Monarchists, National Bloc, etc.), and 25 per cent, to the Popular Front (the Socialists and Signor Togliatti’s Communists). The value of this Gallup poll is not credited in London. Other estimates are that the total vote for the Popular Front is likely to be nearly 40 per cent., with up to 45 per cent, of the Parliamentarv seats. COMMUNIST WIN NOT EXPECTED A correspondent of the Daily Telegraph at Rome states that Italy will not “go Communist” on April 18. He adds that proportional representation precludes a landslide, lie also declares that it is very imnrobable that the Communists and their Socialist allies 'will secure a majority in Parliament. On the possibility of a coup, <i Daily Express correspondent states he is convinced there will not be one, either before, during or immediately after the elections because: (1) Neither the Ministry’ of the Interior nor the police are under Communist control. (2) The forces of order at the disposal of the State are strong, numerous, well equipped, efficient and loyal. He adds that 600,000 nolice and Carabinieri are mobilised and detachments are disposed over the most strategic spots where they might bo needed.

TIME FOR A COUP? A Financial Times correspondent thinks that the most dangerous stage will conic when Parliament elects a new President, and before a new Government is formed. It would, he thinks, be the most favourable moment to bring illegal pressure to bear by large scale rioting and strikes. ’He doubts whether the Government forces could quell an organised, armed uprising, but he adds That the possibility of such an outbreak “is to be considered remote-”.