Evening star., 1948-12-15
independence Held
Political Mistake as
Terror Grips Sicily
BY the Asseeiotsd Press

PAbMEHO, SICILY, Dec. 10
Clouds of terror and misery hang
over this dusty, war-scarred city.
Policemen warn you earnestly not
to walk in some sectors of the town
after dusk. 1T is not safe" they
say.
Senator Gennaro Cassiani, under
secretary of Justice, wanted to visit
an art exhibition in nearby Piana
Del Greci Palermo's chief of police
persuaded him not to 60 because of
tine roads insecurity after dark" >"
The police officer said that only
for very urgent motives and under
adequate escort could such trip
be attempted after S pm"
Last November in Palermo's Park.
a few hundred yards from the
towns center, armed men halted a
car carrying three people home
from a party at the American con-
sulate, kidnapped one and badly
scared the others. The kidnapped
man was one of Sicilys rich land
lords. He has not been heard Of
since.
Crime Increasing.
This was merely one of a long
train of similar crimes which au-
thorities thus far have been unable
to stamp out.
War-bred banditry and ancient
poverty slowly are strangling re-
surgence of the island. Time has
slowed down in Palermo. Most of
its war-destroyed buildings are still
waiting repairs.
The island capital is a sad con-
trast to peninsular Italy, where
italian industry, plus American aid,
has succeeded in patching up what
was worth patching and rebuilding
the rest. Even to one used to the
misery and destitution in the streets
of Italy's large southern towns, Pal
ermo's begears are impressive.
Another trouble of Sicily is the
lack of skilled labor" said DR..
Antonio 10y, builder of recently
inaugurated boys town He said
he found many unskilled workers,
"but they were hopeless. There's no
use teaching them, they just won't
learn"
Conditions Shocking.
Misery, illiteracy, poor housing
and unhealthy living conditions are
the islands curses. These will not
easily be overcome, certainly not
through regional administration"
said a white -whiskered Sicilian rep
resentative.
Sicily is the first Of Italy's 10
regions to have an independent local
administration. Many Sicilians now
think it has been a mistake
Communications with Rome's CEN
tral government were slow before
Since the region came into being
the new local administration, an
other twist in the bureaucratic snarl,
provides more delays.
For centuries the land of tomor-
row." where nothing was ever done
the day it was thought of. Palermi-
tani say Sicily now has become the
LAND Of the day after tomorrow"
Like child tiring of new toy,
Sicilians seem to have lost interest
in their regional assembly. Seldom
Is any one seen in the public or
press galleries even during heated
debate. Many think these endless
and seemingly futile discussions,
hamper any possible progress the
new regional administration might
undertake.
In feudal-minded Sicily political
antagonism is understood as per-
sonal feuds between men belonging
to different clans. Political wars are
waged because regional representa-
tives dislike each other for local or
family reasons
Changing the regional administra-
ton system, however. would be diff
ficult. To amend Italy's constitu-
ton (Which approved regional ad-
n1inistration, a resolution must be
sent to Parliament backed by the
signature of one-fifth of the legis-
lative body. or 500 900 voters.