DANGEROUS TO SPEAK ENGLISH IN PADUA

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5299, 11 January 1947, Page 2

DANGEROUS TO SPEAK ENGLISH IN PADUA

So stroing lis anti-Biritish feeling in this north Italian town of Padua that I have been warned not to speal English within the hearing of anj Italian civilian, says Ian Bevin in ar Australian paper. In civilian clothes, I walked througi the streets without trouble, but in £ restaurant I had to pose as a Frenchman to avoid a disturbance. The ' anti-British demonstrations here in the last few days have been the worst in any. ex-enemy country s'ince the end of the war. Three times Army headquarters in the town has announced that the situation is "apparently under control,''. , but' to my eyes it is anything else but "under control. Britisb headquarters has several times said that the rumour which started the riots — that an Italian had been injured or killed by a British truck— is false. Most Italians, however, still lirmly believe that an Italian was killed. The British say disciplinaiy action is to be taken against the 140 British soldiers who smashed shop windows during a counter-demonstration. Angry crov/ds of 'Italian civilians marehed through the streets ohanting "Get ont of Italy, get out of Italy: get out, foreigners." British military pollice have had strict orders not to take action against civilians uniess to save 1'ife, and they have thus been compelled on sever occasions to withstand a hail of stones wbile Italian police mefely turned v' their backs.