Evening star., 1947-05-11

pc8Ec tICSGy, WltklOut 4c0C1V6tlyAASs
strong opposition among many Sen
probable.
SO far some . Senators, inc
decided that II ! majority cannot
the Foreign Relations Committee
it would be preferable to defeat !
on the noor Of the Senate: Only 8;
votes would be required to do so.
There IS nothing isolationist abou
the stand Of the antitreaty pro
tagonists. Quite the contrary. Sucf
Senators Is Bridges, Republican, o
New Hampshire: Lodge, Republican
Of Massachusetts,, and Byrd, Dem.
ocrat, Of Virginia supported Pres
ident Roosevelts foreign policies
before Pearl Harbor. But the grouI
which has taken upon itself to op.
pose the treaty In It's present form
Is worried lest ratification woult
place italy behind the iron curtain
thus striking q blow at President
Trumans declared policy OF pre-.
venting further Soviet expansion ir
Europe.
Best Available.
According to private reports, tn.
State Department itself is not par
ticularly enamored Of the Italiar
treaty. It feels duty -bound to sup
port it, because 1t is the result o1
many painful months of work BY
former Secretary Of State Byrnes
who admitted that, while it is moi
. good peace, it Is the best thai
could be obtained with Russia,
agreement.
Chairman vandenberg Of the
Senate Foreign Relations Commit
tee has the same paternal feeling
toward the treaty and is said te
regard It's return to committee OF
outright rejection Is . personal
affront. to his craftsmanship.
The italian government accepted
the treaty under duress. The Ital-
ian people do not like it at all.
When Premier Acide de Casper
returned to Rome from America
last February he conferred immedi-
ately with the newly-arrived Amer
lean Ambassador in Rome, James
Clement Dunn, and told him he
could not sign the treaty because it
would leave Italy helpless, both
economically and physically.
Mr.. de Gasperi changed his views
within "A hours, however, after he
had Q long conversation with the
British Ambassador in Rome and
with Palmiro Togliatti, chief Of the
Italian Communists and then q
member Of the italian cabinet.
The Premier later explained to
close friends that he was compelled
to change his mind because the
British diplomat had warned him
that failure to sign the treaty not
only would keep Italy out of the
United Nations, but also would make
it impossible for her to obtain loans
and assistance from the western
Allies. Mr. Togliatti is said to have
threatened q general strike and
other forms Of disturbance If the
treaty were not signed.
Opposed in Private.
Premier de Gasperi yielded to the
British and Communist pressure and
since then has taken the official
position that he would like to see
the treaty ratified and out of the
way. In private, however, the Ital-
ian Premier Is as much opposed to
the treaty as he was on his return
from America.
The italian people, by and large,
disapprove the treaty because 1t
takes away Venezia Giulia and
brings into the country tens of thou
sands Of destitute italian refugees
who have lived for many generations
In that territory, even when 1t was
under Austrian domination. They
further feel that the reparations
clauses place the country under an
unbearably long servitude.
The American delegates fought
hard in Paris and New York to
soften the reparations terms, but in
the end had to yield to Russian and
Yugoslav demands, which call for
Of $3.50, ,000,o 900 as war
Indemnity.
What worries many Italians and
Americans, however, more than the
Terms Of the treaty itself are the
many indications. that early with
drawals Of American forces from the
Italian Yugoslav border will clear
the way for Communist upsurge
In Italy. The treaty provides that
troops must be evacuated
within 80 days after ratification.
The relations between Marshal
Tito and Mr.. Togliatti, who were
closely associated both in Moscow
md in the International Brigade in
Spain, are Of the best. They see eye
10 eye on extension Of Russia 8
sphere OF influence throughout the
world. They believe that Italy has
.s.at. .4x@AA A<.in ..e-ili.a 49, Il