Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-04-13
The King Steps Down

| &A4lls NlCGol Cllldtluel ) pronounce
ment is along the line indicated
by the complex negotiations which
have been going on behind the
scenes in Italy for the past month.
1t is obviously compromise, and
rather curious one at that. The
King does not formally abdicate.
| He decides to withdraw from pub
lie affairs" by appointing Crown
Prince Umberto lieutenant general
of the realm" But although the
King declares that this decision is
final and irrevocable." Umbertos
appointment will become effective
by formal transfer of power on the
day on which Allied troops enter
Rome"
That logically indicates an interim
period of anomalous uncertainty.
Strategically speaking, the Allies are
still far from Rome, and unless they
are ready to exert much more mill
tary pressure in Italy than hitherto,
their entry into the Italian capital
may be long delayed. Meanwhile
the King technically would seem to
retain his full royal prerogative, yet
his final and irrevocable" decision
to retire from the exercise Of it
tends to eliminate him as a positive
political factor. But until he does
formally retire, the Crown Prince
Is seemingly unable to assume the
authority which will be delegated
to him at an indeterminate date.
From the strictly constitutional
aspect. the crown appears to be
suspended in midair.
This singular arrangement is
presumably due to the interplay of
conflicting forces. The original
Badoglio government, legally due to
King Victor Emanuel's action after
the overthrow of Mussolini and his
Fascist regime almost a year ago,
was favored by conservative. and
royalist elements in Italy and had
the support of the Army, but was
strongly opposed by all the Leftist
parties, from Liberals to Com
munists. They all demanded the
abd1cation of the King and re-
nunciation by Crown Prince Um-
berto of his successional rights to
the throne. Beyond that, the
Leftists were not united amongst
themselves. The Liberals seemed
ready to retain the House of Savoy
IN the person of the Kings seven
syear-old grandson under a regency
run by them and their associates.
The extremer radicals and Commu-
nists wanted to abolish the crown
and have republic. When the Allies
invaded Italy and accepted the King
and Badoglio with 'tco-belligerent"
status, the Leftist groups remained
critical and aloof. The upshot was
q partial paralysis of Italy's war
effort on the Allied side. @
This political deadlock was broken
by Moscow's recognition OF the
Badoglio government and the in
f1uence of the returned Communist
exile, Togliatti, who got the Italian
Communists to come out for the
formation of a broadly based coali-
ton "war government" adjourning
the problem of Italy's political flu
ture until after the war and describ-
ing the King as mot a person but
an institution" during the war
period. The aim was to get on with
the war and soft-pedal politics.
This aim may be furthered by the
arrangement just announced by
Victor Emanuel, illogical and anon
alous though it appears from it's
constitutional aspect. Strict legal
ity is sometimes out of place in
hours of emergency. 1t NAY be as
sumed that the trainers of this pro-
ceeding know what they are doing.
According to a NaZi renort Hooh