The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-04-11
By CLARE BOOTHE LUCE Written for the Combined American
 Press

Press
 Distributed by United Press
 Rome, April 10-(UP)-So far as any observer in Italy today can dis cover American policy toward this country consists largely of a lim- tied two point program: First to help the Italians feed themselves, and secondly, to return Italy to the Italians as rapidly as possible.
 Such a program certainly can hardly be called foreign policy, A foreign policy would indicate Americas stand on combustible problems such as Trieste. restora tion of the Italian colonies, and the question of whether to support constitutional monarchy or left wing government if the liberation of the north should immediately be accompanied by an outbreak of violent troubles such as that which beset Greece.
 Our failure to indicate even a trend of official opinion on these questions has for some months past kept all foreign diplomatic circles in Rome bedeviled and beWildered and has encouraged agitation from every Italian political party. They have spread rumors concerning both American and British postwar in- tentionS.
 However, apart from the question of Trieste upon which all Italians, all parties - left and right - are agreed, Americas first program point-to feed tIaly-happens to be a question that also most concerns both plain Italian citizen and his existing government.
 To the extent that American sue. ceeds in keeping Italy above the danger line of mass starvation we create an atmosphere of good will which is bound to make any foreign policy we adopt easier to pursue.
 What are good fact today in Italy? A fact is that since SalernG great masses of Italians in liberated Italy are living only a very little above a subsistence level and that some large cities and devastated areas there is actual danger oi starvation.
 But the fact also is that liberated Italy is at last beginning to get foodstuffs from America to allevi- ate this situation-foodstuffs in amounts that were promised during the months before the last presi- dential campaign-and not deliv- cred.
 Incidentally, the extrayagant promises about food made during early 1914 did a great deal of dam age to U. S.-Italian relations and complicated problems of American military government and Allied commission in Italy. They took the rap" for failing to make good on deliveries which shipping and trans portation charges and needs of the battles then in progress made out of the question.
 Since July, 1943, there have ar rived in Italy 1,300,000 tons of food stuffs and 1855 1000 tons of civil sup plies, excluding coal and petroleum. During this March 137,000 tons were imported for the use of Italian civ ilians end this total is being stepped up for the months ahead.
 The greatest single factor in the problem of food shortages in Italy is lack of transportation facilities which make it impossible for local farmers to get their produce to mar ket.
 For example, from 1886 to 1889. the Fascist government had regis tered 100000 load-carrying trucks. When the Germans began their re- treat from Salerno they destroyed every vehicle in Italy they couldn't move out with their armies.
 During last year, the Fifth and Eighth Armies put 500 military trucks at the disposal of the Italian government and as of today the government has landed BIS new trucks for exclusive civilian use and by June 1, a total of 1,700 will be landed and in operation while an additional 1900 trucks are requisitioned and are expected to arrive by the middle of summer.
 Since November, 1944, 2,338 freight cars have been recovered and returned to service and there is a program underway to bring into Italy hundreds of U. s. Army cars from Sardinia and North Africa. the continuing prob lem of transportation can best be when 1t is noted that at the present time there are about 1000 freight cars in Italy. com- pared with l50,000 before the fall Of Salerno.
 All the political agitation of in Italy to the contrary, its apparent to anyone reaching for facts here that two things are true: First, slowly but suerg the Amer ican government is helping break