The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-07-29

Neutral sources, from Madrid to Ankara, continued to insist that peace negotiations were imminent, If not under way.
 General strikes were called in Turin, Milan and other northern Italian cities as anti-Fascist disor- ders spread to Naples, Bari Taranto and Foggia in southern Italy, where several prominent party members were reported lynched, Bern dis patch said.
 The situation in Milan, already the scene of pitched gun battles be- tween Fascists and army royalists and police, was reported so serious that the military governor of the province, General Canale, pro- claimed that strikers were liable to court martial and execution if they did not return to work.
 'The higher interests of the na- ton demand an immediate resump- tion of work for harmoniousu re- turn to normal life," he said. T will enforce these interests by acting with the utmost force against vio- lators, who will be court martiaied Immediately. Violators caught in the act will be shot on the spot. l remind the population that troops have received orders to fire without warnings against gatherings Of more than three people in the public streets"
 The strikes followed the spread of rumors that employers would be unable to meet monthly payrolls since all banks in Milan and Turin closed without explanation Monday Bern said.
 Thirty-seven Fascists were re- ported by Bern to be still holding of regular army troops from the top floor of busted Premier Ben ito Mussolinis newspaper Popoio d'Italia in Milan.
 Seizing women and children as hostages, they barricaded them selves in the building yesterday and opened fire on their besiegers with hand grenades and automatic rifles Two soldiers were killed while operating searchlights. T h oug g | equipped with cannon and tanks the army forces hesitated to fire be- cause of the presehce of hostages.
 (The National Broadcasting Com oany reported from Bern that two reported Fascist killers of Giacomc Matteoti-Beula and Duminl-Were killed by a mob in Milan. Another Swiss broadcast said that Army troops have taken over the street railway system in Milan0
 Swedish dispatches, received fol- towing the re-opening Of telephone communication with the Italian cap ital last night. said crowds in Rome stamped Fascist party badges under foot and burned party books ln oig bonfires. A demonstration was suppressed at Matteotis grave and strong police and military forces patrolled the street to prevent other manifestations.
 Orderly City
 Ono of the most orderly cities in italy, 8 Bern report said, was the central industrial city of Balogna, whero the inhabitants scowl at but do not dare attack Fascists because of the presence of three fully-armed blackyhirt militia battalions who Just have arrived from Croatia.
 Madrid reports said the two 1tal- ian army corps-five divisions marching toward the Brenner Pass were authorized to inform the Ger mans that no further advance into Italian territory would be permitted and to back this up by force, though there was no indication of whether they could offer any real opposition to Adolf Hitler's panzer divisions The Italians were said to be equip ped with heavy artillery.
 German troops now crossing into northern Italy to reinforce the gar risons of 6O,o00 hitherto have been confined to Tyrol, Madrid said. The nortern Italy garrisons originally had been slated to go to Tunisia and later Sicily, but it was under stood that the transfer of troops to Sicily had been halted and the earrisons ordered to war positions.
 He congratulated the Italian peo- ~y. of <raaiy,o tbem mse1yeS from the