Evening star., 1948-03-14

Az WdIlt W 1ldIl0 I1le COuQLIy OVeI
'properly"-that is to say, the Com.
munist ticket-they would not bs
molested on D day.
Russia's expenses are said to
have been less than 80 per cent Of
the sums we already have poured
into Italy. The moneys were used
to bribe and corrupt key oficials
and provide q medium of comfort
for those who belonged to the party.
The party's main strength lay Ia
the fact that it had q military power
at its disposal. while the only hope
Of the nom Communists was the
American military power disap-
peared when our men were with.
drawn from that country. To peoples
who have witnessed two invasions
since l939-that of their so-called
Na1 allies and that of the Ameri-
can, British, French and Polish
forces in l942 and 1943-comforts,
food and money are far less Inn
portant than the prospects Of not
being physically molested.again.
1t is because Of such psychology
that President Truman in q mild
statement on December Il, ls47,
promised that his doctrine regarding
Greece. and Turkey applied to italy
as well. But Americas military
potential is far away; that Of the
Communists backed by Russia Is
visible to the naked eye. Togliatti
has been parading his troops As
often as possible; recalcitrant peas
ants were beaten or killed by his
muscle men under the eyes Of pow
erless government police.
Even the few men-of-war we had
in italian ports were withdrawn
last month at the request of Premier
Alcide de Gasperi, who became
alarmed at the Communist propa-
ganda that America is occupying
Italy militarily. The population in
the harbor and coast areas, which
was reassured by presence of Ameri-
can naval units, got discouraged and
considered this withdrawal as an
indication that America is not to
protect them.
Heavy Red Vote Predicted
In countries which have suffered
invasions for centuries words mean
much less when 1t comes to reas-
surances that they will be pro.
tected against violence than the
visual assurance that such protec.
ton is on the spot and ready to act.
The net result was summed UP
by Ambassador Dunn in q recent
dispatch to the State Department
in which he ventured to forecast
that the Communists would poll at
least 40 per cent of the total elec-
toral vote on April 10. This means
that a new government will be
formed In which Togliatti will play
first fiddle.
Those who have been watching
the Italian developments say that
Italy was doomed anyhow. without
the military support Of the United
States. If the Communists are de-
feated at the polls, there is every
indication that Togliatti will use
force and proclaim Northern Italy
a free peoples republic" like the
other countries behind the iron
curtain.
This is unquestionably true. But
the Rome government could bring
the matter before the United Ma
tions in the same manner the
Iranian government did In the
spring of 1916 when the peoples
republic of Azerbaijan was created
by Moscow. Or failing to obtain
satisfaction from the U. NJ, the
United States might properly de-
clare its interest on the basis of the
Truman doctrine
The expected creation Of an Ital-
ian government under the domina-
ton Of the Communists will pre-
vent any appeal to the U. N.
Whether the administration will de-
eide that there is time for applica-
ton of the Truman doctrine Is o
highly debatable question. So far
only indications to the contrary
have been noticeable in the highest
quarters in Washington.