ITALY’S ELECTION CAMPAIGN VERY KEEN

Grey River Argus, 15 April 1948, Page 5

ITALY’S ELECTION CAMPAIGN VERY KEEN

(Rec. 11.45) ROME, April 14 The political parties are busy splashing Rome’s pavements with slogans and Party emblems in preparation for Italy’s first general elections for twenty-five years on Sunday next. There are three hundred and fiftysix parties or groups on the election lists, but only twelve are of importance.

The elections will be almost a straight fight between De Gasperi’s Christian Democrats and the Com-munist-led Popular Front.

Communists Against

Marshall Plan

(Rec. 11.40) ROME, April 14 The Italian Communist Party leader. Signor Togliatti, over the Rome radio, attacked the Marshall Plan, and he asked if the Prime Minister, Signor De Gasperi, would give the same pledge as the Communist would —to refuse to allow Italy to adhere to any bloc which would draw her into a new war.

Communist Plan for Disorders

(N.Z.P.A. —Reuter Cable], (Rec. 11.10) ROME. April 14 The Prime Minister of Italy,‘‘Signor De Gasperi told a meeting at the city of Milan, North .Italy, that he held a secret document detailing ia Communist plan involving the creation of disorders in those countries which are due to benefit from the Marshall Plan.

He said that this document revealed that the plan had been evolved at a meeting at Bi.alystok, in Poland, between one of the Italian Communist leaders, Luigi Longo, and the leading Soviet representative, Andrei Zhdanov.