Evening star., 1948-04-11
Police Break Up
Political Riotinq
In Rome, Milan
Reds Fight Foseists;;
De Gosperi Vows to
Bur Seizure of Power
SOVIETS USE 23d VETO to Keep
YSo11, N,y% of pora A

sOvIETs USE 23d VETO to Keer
Italy Out of U. N. Page A-4
U. S. FIGHTS Red Maneuver te
Restrict Links With Berlin. Al
BY the Associated Pres.
ROME, April 10.-Communists
and pro-Fascists fought tonight
in Rome and Milan until club
swinging police broke up the
riotous demonstrations.
In Rome the police had to drive
jeeps into the mob to restore order
Several persons were injured. The
police made preparations for posi-.
BILE further outbreaks tomorrow.
While the street fights were going
on Premier Alcide de Gasperi told
the Italian people that he will hole
power by force" to prevent any il
legal seizure of power during the
three-week interval between the
April Is election and the conveying
of the new parliament.
Speaking at Pisa, Mr. de Gasperi
declared: ITALY is not a Balkan
country. Here regimes cannot be
improvised."
Answer to Communists.
His statement was interpreted as
an answer to Communist propagan-
distS who have theorized that the
party or group winning majority in
the election would have the right
Immediately to form a new govern
ment. Mr.. de Gasperi declared that
pending the conyening of new
parliament 1t is the duty of the
existing government prevent a coup
He also expressed confidence that
the election will give his Christian
Democrats and the parties partici-
pating in his cabinet an opportunity
to celebrate great victory"
An American diplomatic observer
told a reporter that according tt
the best estimates now the Com.
munist-led Popular Front and the
Christian Democrats will each gel
about IS per cent of the total vote
He added:
"A point or two either way coulo
make whale of difference in the
political picture. If De Gasperi's
Christian Democrats alone car
squeeze out ahead of the combined
Leftist Front, the Communists will
have no reason to demand the right
to form new government"
5000 Attack Rally.
The fighting in Rome developed
when an estimated 5000 jeerine
Communists attacked noisy politi.
cal rally of the Italian Social Move
ment CMSD which has avowedl!
Fascist leanings.
Some 1000 MSI supporters sing
ing Fascist songs gathered in the
Piazzi MaStai near the Tiber River
They chanted and cheered as MS
Leader Arturo Michelini attacked
Communism and called for 9
stronger Italy.
The swelling crowd of Commu-
nists collected in a side street ano
pressed toward the Piazza Mobile
police armed with tommyguns sped
into action when the Communists
began hurling stones and fights
broke out.
In Milan, Giorgio Almirante, sec.
retary general of the MSI, was pre-
vented from speaking when about
500 leftists began throwing stones
About 200 police, almost as many as
there were MSI followers, quickly
restored order.
Mario Guerrini, chief of the air
mail service, said today that the
election campaign has caused air.
mail from the United States to bt
nearly doubled. Eighty-seven mai
bags were received from the United
States today by special fight. Much
of it was believed to have brought
Italians assurances from friends ane
relatives that the whole world ]!
watching the Italian election.