Evening star., 1948-03-22
riieste
Continued From First Page

13 inhabitants, six Of them Francis
can monks.
The two Communist leaders
met on the steps leading to the hill
top sanctuary and went inside for
devotions. A priest blessed this
visit in the face of the ancient
heresies."
A small crowd of villagers cried,
viva Bidault-viva Trieste-Viva
France" Mr.. De Gasperi waved his
hands and shoted some 'vivas," too.
Heads of Catholic Parties.
Both men head Catholic parties.
Mr.. De Gasperi's italian Christian
Democrats are comparable to Mr.
Bidault's French Popular Repubn-
cans.
Mr.. Bidault will leave for Paris by
train tonight. Mr.. De Gasperi will
make a political speech at Casale,
near Crea.
Foreign Minister Carlo Sforza
said in Turin the Italian govern
ment has sent notes to the United
States, France and Great Britain
accepting the proposal to return
Trieste to Italy. He expressed
gratitude or the Italian people and
said the offer was a great step
toward reconstruction.
Italians were deprived of news
paper accounts today of Trieste
and the ItAIian political campaign.
More thanl 900 dailies throughout
the country were shut down last
midnight by a 24-hour printers
strike for higher pay Upward of
100000 men were called out by
their Communicated union.
Disclosure Made In Turin.
Mr.. Bidault disclosed in Turin
Saturday that the United States,
Britain and France propose to give
the Adriatic seaport of Trieste back
to Italy.
A three power announcement on
Trieste was made later in Wash
ington. The Western powers invited
Russia and Italy to talk about
changing the >six-month-old Italian
peace treaty, which made Trieste
and environs free territory. Italy
and Communist YugoSlavia both
want the port. The territory now is
occupied by United States, British
and Yugoslav troops.
(The Moscow radio said last
night the United States, Britain
and France are acting behind the
back of the Soviet Union in pro-
posing to revise the peace treaty
with Italy.D
News of the proposal led to fist
fights yesterday in Trieste and
Milan. 1t brought approval from
many italians, criticism in Cum
munist Eastern Europe and a doubt
full response from some TriestinoS.
Borba, Belgrade Communist news
paper, gave a hint of the official
Yugoslav attitude 1t reported the
news briefly under the headline,
"Imperialist Maneuvers with Trieste
Before italian Elections
BidauIt Silent on Election.
Some Italian sources said the
west rushed the Trieste idea through
because it believed Russia had the
same plan.
IT think United States agents
found out some weeks ago that ltal-
ian Communist leaders were doing
everything in their power to per-
suade Moscow to do 1t to give
the Communist cause TREMENDOUS
election boost" said one diplomat.
Mr.. Bidault smiled and said, no
answer" when a reporter asked him
in Turin yesterday If the declara-
ton had been timed to inf1uence
the election.
The big election-day contest will
be between Mr.. De Gaspert's Chris
tan Democrats and the popular
front of Communists and pro-Com-
munist Socialists.
The Communicated union of ty-
pographers, in the big General Con-
federation of Labor, called out
Italys newspaper and government
printers last night to back bid for
a wage boost in small private shops.
The news agency Ansa was struck
too. A few of Rome's some 20 papers
printed before the midnight dead
line.
May Exceed "a Hours.
The strike is to run longer than
the scheduled "A hours unless en-
ployers and employees settle their
dispute. 1t closed the government
printing Office and stopped the out
pour of election posters and PAM
phlets.
The base pay for most Italian
printers now Is 100 lire tabout Is
cents hourly With extra benefit
payments they get about twice that
Their demands for hike of about
- lire (some cents an hour have
been accepted by all employers ex-
eept the small shop owners.
In varese yesterday, Mr.. De Gas
NAri earro efico1ly told crouH