Evening star., 1948-04-18

Id WeSIeTu EJulOpC WALL AOSSoS VA
progress in accordance with events
in Italy. They all agree that the
new republic is of vital Importance
from a political and military point
of view.
Get Orders From Moscow
While the prospects of limited
victory for the non-Communist
parties at the polls have increased
in the last few weeks, the possibility
of military coup d'etat on the part
Of the Communists headed by Pal
miro Togliatti is not being dis
counted, either in Washington or
the capitals of Western European
nations.
Like other Communist leaders all
over the world, the Italian Red
chiefs take their orders direct from
Moscow. The Politburo is not i'm
provising its policies; they were
establish a long time ago.
In the case of Italy Russian policy
was planned as long ago as 1914,
when Moscow made an agreement
with Premier Marshal Pietro Bado-
Clio to permit the return to his
homeland of Togliatti, who under
the name of Ercole Ercoli had been
a. leading member of the Third
Internationale in Moscow.
After many consultations with
Moscow the Communist leaders
decided to place Italy behind the
iron curtain, either by what they
call the democratic process
through government to power'-or
by force. They would prefer the
former, but If they fail all observers
agree the Communists will use force.
1t is now an established fact that
if they get IS to 40 per cent Of the
total vote, the president OF the
newly elected National Assembly
will designate the future premier Of
the country. The Communists and
their associates will form a strong
in the chamber and this
may compel the inclusion Of three
or possibly four ranking Commu-
nists in the cabinet.
Separatist Action Feared
Observers believe that once Togli-
atti and some of his henchmen are
firmly in the government they will
operate in the same manner as the
Czech Prime Minister, Klement
Gottwald. Before the end OF the
year Italy would become puppet
state by means of a coup similar
to that perpetrated in Prague.
If the italian voters should re-
turn less than IS per cent Com
in the new Assembly, and
If as a consequence non-Com-
munist government is formed, there
is strong probability that the
Partisan Army"-some 100000
strong and well-equipped with
arms and ammunition from Yugo-
slavia and Russia-will be used to
create separatist movement in
Northern italy between the River
Pc and the Alps.
The main strength of the Com
munists Is in the rich industrial
and agricultural area in that ter
ritory, which is Of vital Importance
to the plans of the U. S. S. r. for the
domination of Europe. Northern
Italy lies between Yugoslavia and
France.
A Communist republic separated
from Rome could be strongly sup
ported by It's immediate neighbor
Yugoslavia, and would be jumping
off point for Communist penetra-
ton and infiltration into France
Furthermore, since 80 per cent Of
Italy's wealth is centered in the
north, Southern Italy would die or
the vine, in spite Of American sup
port. In all likelihood 1t would
eventually joint Northern Italy.
Against these two long-range plans
the United States has improvised
policy based principally on economic
and financial support for the pres.
ent government and on the threat
to cut it off If the Italian people
despite pressing appeals from Amer
lea, decide to cast a large vote fol
Communist candidates.
u. S. Slow to Act
While Russia, directly and through
the Cominform, was helping Togli-
atti to impress the voters by pro-
viding him with hard cash and the
necessary arms and ammunition to
equip his shock troops, we have only
recently begun to give perfunctory
help in the reorganization of the
Italian Army, which Is intrusted
with the task of preventing Com
munist coup.
While the Communists have been
active in organizing their private
army since 1915, we began to send
arms and ammunition to the regu-
lar military and police force of the
Italian government only three
ago.
The American Government was
after the end Of the war
that dollars could purchase peace.
Our entire diplomatic strategy was
based on the belief that Russia
wanted to reorganize her economy
and that the other nations, which
had suffered 50 much in the last
war, could not fail to accept our
economic and financial support. We
failed to realize until recently that
the U. S. S. r. was bent on DOM
ination and would not hesitate to
throw her whole military power into
the drive to expand as rapidly as