Evening star., 1946-06-04
Republic Vote
Leads in Italy
Almost 7 10 |
Only Fourth of Ballots
Counted, but Margin
Appears Commanding
BY the Associated Pres,

ROME, June 4.-Forces favor
ing the establishment of a re-
public appeared to be building
up a commanding lead today as
Italian officials completed tabu-
lation of approximately one
quarter of the votes cast in this
nations two-day elections.
A semiofficial tabulation of ap-
proximately 10 per cent of the 25,-
100000 votes estimated to have been
cast showed the republic leading
the monarchy almost two to one.
The Ministry of Interior said all
reports on the outcome of the mon-
archy-republic plebiscite were un-
official and that the first official
returns would probably not be an
nounced until tomorrow.
Socialist Vice Premier Pietro
Nenni said earlier, however, that the
latest unofficial tabulation showed
l,508,851 votes for republic and
847,851 for sthe monarchy. The in
dustrial north was reported solidly
in favor of republic and the agri-
cultural south equally strong for
the monarchy The south is less
heavily populated than the north.
Christian Democrats Lead.
The Christian Democrats. the
party of Premier Alcide de Gasperi,
held their strong lead in Italy's Con-
stituent Assembly election on the
basis of the count of half the votes.
The Ministry of Interior said the
Christian Democrats polled 81
798,264 votes of the HOPS, ,l99 tab
ulated, with the Socialists gather
ing 2,708,079 and the Communists
2,551,123. All three parties. plus the
Republicans, are committed to es-
tablishment of republic, and this
led political experts at the ministry
to deduce that the proposal for q
republic was well ahead.
The moderate National Demo-
cratic Union of Vittorio Emmanuel
Orlando, Italian Premier in the First
World War, was running fourth with
495, ,478. The Republican party had
454, ,246 and the rightist Uomo Qua
lunque movement had 432.243. The
other votes were scattered among
smaller parties.
An unofficial tabulation in Rome
and Roman provinces showed l74.-
857 votes for the monarchy and
l69, ,631 for republic.
Assembly Results First.
The Ministry of the Interior said
complete results on the assembly
voting might be known by nightfall,
but that results of the monarchy
referendum would not be announced
until after the assembly, vote "to
maintain public order"
Unofficial partial returns in the
plebiscite, reported by the Italian
news agency Ansa from Milan. Flor
ence, Reggie Emilia and Livorno
ueghorn), all in Northern Italy,
gave the republic 1884, ,39o votes
against 1921 for the monarchy.
Premier de Gasperi has estimated
that there were 100000 eligible
voters in Northern Italy. 1000 900
In Central and Southern Italy COM
bined, and 100000 on the islands.
First returns bore out predictions
chat the north would vote for the
republic and the south for the mon
archy. These figures also showed
that the Communists were strong in
cities which had been most seriously
damaged by the war and the Social
lists were ahead in Milan, Italys
largest industrial city.
Republic Leads in Milan.
Naples. in the south, was reported
unoflcially to have cast 80 per cent
OF its votes for the retention of the
House Of Savoy and 42-year-old
King Umberto II. The early returns
from Milan, on the other hand,
showed the republic leading, 1864
to 33,709.
Some figures were available from
Rome in the voting for the Con-
Istituent Assembly. Seventy-nins
districts gave the Christian Demo-
Gratis 1896 votes, the Communists
1902 and the Socialists 4,487.
The Democratic Union party was
ahead in Naples with 21,625 votes,
as against 1927 for the Christian
Democrats.
The port of Livorno Ieghorn)
gave 70 per cent of its votes to the
republic and the Communists took
an early lead there, with the Chris
tian Democrats and Socialists trail
ing in that order.
Communists also were ahead in
Genoa, Bologna, Modena and Man.
tova