Evening star., 1946-05-10
Italian Cabinet 0k's
Umberto as King Till
PIebiscite on June !
BY the Assoeiotsd Press

ROME, May 10.-The italian
cabinet approved today the as
sumption Of the throne by
Crown Prince Umberto, but
specified his powers would ex-
tend only until June 2. On that
day the Italian people will de-
eide whether to continue the
monarchy.
The ministers decided Umberto
could sign DEGREES "Umberto II,
King of Italy" but not use the
phrase traditionally following the
signature, by grace of God and
will of the people" Umbertos
father, Victor Emmanuel III, abdi-
Gated last night after 45-year
reign and sailed for Egypt.
Communists oppose Umberto, and
the Socialist press today called him
the King of May" and declared
in its headlines Fascist prince sue
ceeds Fascist King for % days"
The Socialist newspapers said the
abdication was a useless political
maneuver' intended to influence
the outcome of the June plebiscite.
Greece Prepares to Vote.
Greece also prepared to settle
speedily the fate of her King,
George II. Premier Tsaldaris an
nounced that Greeks would vote on
the question as soon as electoral lists
are revised. Previously the Greek
government had not planned to
hold plebiscite until 1948, but the
Populist party, largely monarchists,
come into power in recent elections.
Recent announcements from Athens
said the British and American gov
ernments had agreed to the holding
OF an early plebiscite.
Rome's Communist party organ
L'Unita charged that the abdication
had broken the truce on mon
archy." When the Allies captured
Rome two years ago, the Italian
government and crown agreed to
truce on the question of the mon
archy pending voters decision, but
a British Foreign Office spokesman
in London said recently the decision
to hold the election June was in
terpreted as ending the period OF the
truce.
Pietro Nenni. Socialist and vice
president of the Constituent AS
sembly, and Palmiro Togliatti. Com
munist and minister of justice,
argued that only the constitutional
convention to be elected in the
June 2 plebiscite on the monarchy
has the right to select new king.
DIVERSION Socialist Says.
A Socialist party manifesto termed
the abdication "a diversion to de-
range orderly preparation of the
referendum" June 2. A Republi-
can party leader, Randolfo Pac-
ciardi, said in an interview that
the abdication would have no effect
on what he called the nations
swing toward a republic.
Premier Alcide de Gasperi. to
whom Victor Emmanuels 17-word
abdication document was being for
warded from Naples, commented
only that he was confident the mon
archy would abide by the decisions
of the plebiscite and the subsequent
constitutional convention.
A minister of the royal house said
Umberto would issue a proclamation
after today's cabinet session.
The 42-year-old Crown Prince,
who also is lieutenant general of the
realm, returned to Rome from Ma
piles, where his father formally re-
nounced the throne yesterday after
46 years as Italy's monarch.
Sail for Exile in Egypt >,~
The abdication document, writ
ten in the 76-year-old Kings own
steady hand, added Victor En-
manuel to the long list of unem-
ployed European monarchs. He and
his tall consort, Queen Elena, sailed