Evening star., 1947-11-21
Peasants Battle
.Carabinieriiin
New Italian Riot
Fight Is Touched OFF
Near Bari by Gun
Attack on Priest
BY the Associated Press

ROME, Nov. 21.-Peasants bat
tied carabinieri today in the
streets of Bitonto, near Bari, in
a new outbreak of the violence
which has taken a growing toll
of lives throughout Italy in the
past week.
The fight was touched off by ar
attack by an unidentified assailant
on priest, the Rev. Jasquale Pileo
The cleric, on his way to say mass
was shot three times in the back
In the subsequent fighting, two
cararinieri were gravely wounded
Armed mobs ranged the streets
Headquarters of the Christian Dem
ocratic and the Rightist Uomc
Qualunque Common Nam parties
were reported wrecked.
Four Killed in Disorders.
Disorders turned into bloody
skirmishing in the strike bound
Apulia region in the heel of Italy
yesterday, and four persons were
killed, dispatches to Rome news
papers said.
The total dead in the recent
epidemic of Leftist-led disorders
throughout all Italy was near 20.
In this capital, Premier Alcide de
Gasperi, whose Christian Demo
cratic government is target of {
concentrated Leftist attack, con.
ferred with the general commander
of the carabinieri.
At least 13 persons, seven of then
carahinieri who were reported tt
have used their arms in self-de.
fense, were wounded in skirmishine
yesterday at Campi Salentina ano
Gravina in the Apulia region, the
independent newspaper Messagerc
reported.
Phone Lines Are Out.
Telephone communications with
Bitonto were out. Communications
between Bari, principal city of the
Northern Apulia region, and Rome
were interrupted. Lines also were
broken elsewhere in the trouble zone
particularly in the area of Corato
where three persons have beer
killed.
Government sources In Rome said
the Bitonto rioting began with bomt
explosions and the crackle of gun
fire. A mob gathered quickly and
attacked the Christian Democrat
and Uomo Qualumque headquarters
the informants said. The mob set
fire to the buildings and also to a
hunters club and the headquarters
of the agricultural association, they
reported.
Caribinieri were forced to retreat
to their barracks, government in
formant said. The crowd had erected
barricades in the streets in the heart
of the city and it's outskirts. Dis
patches to Rome newspapers said
many demonstrators we're armed
with machine guns.
Power Cutoff Threatens Rome.
Meanwhile, Rome was threatened
with a one-hour cutoff of electrical
power If wage demands of electrical
workers we're not met before night
fall. A similar shutdown was threat
ened in industrial Milan as a pro-
test against the impending dismissal
of a number of lighting company
employees.
The Milan newspaper Nuovo Cor
riere della Sera said police in that
city had been alerted against a pos
sible attempt to occupy the radio
station, where the workers we're saio
to be agitating. Milan also facec
strike of school teachers begin
ming Monday.
An Italian news agency dispatch
from Palermo reported that lieu.
tenant colonel of carabinieri hae
been shot in the back and gravely
wounded as he entered his home al
nearby Partinico last night.
Bari. a major Adratic port, was
reported in the grip of a genera
strike called by the Chamber OF
Labor. A similar strike also was
under way at Taranto, on the inster
of the italian boot.