Evening star., 1951-09-25
De Casper Offers
Italian Manpower,
Factories for Defense
BY the Associated Press

Premier Alcide de Gasperi of
Italy today urged the Western
powers to use his country's idle
factories and manpower to turn
out goods for the common de-
fenSe.
Speaking to the National Press
Club, the Premier acknowledged
that Italy is so poor in raw ma
terialS that Its existence for
years, when viewed from sta
tistical viewpoint, has seemed an
tmpossibility.
Italy has however, a rich re-
source in the ability and willing
ness of its industrious people to
work" he said
Cites Moral Aspect"
He said Italian factories could
be used for defense production lin
such way that costs are less for
you and at the same time the
standard of living of our people is
not lowered"
Moreover, he said, there is a
"moral aspect to the problem.
"A starving or discontended peo-
pie can not produce properly, they
can not be strong as a defence
force or can not resist effectively
the lure of the extremists" he
explained. Many of the people
in our country who voted Com
munist are not followers of Marx
and Lenin. They are simply peo-
pie who do not have enough to
es1."
He said emigation had benefited
both Italy and other countries in
the past and suggested this might
be a solution now.
Through a free and unfettered
movement of persons we can help
each other" he said, land by the
interblending of our civilization,
our ways of living and our peoples
we can make it more possible to
work together to achieve our great
common aims of peace, freedom
anH security
Three Problems Enumerated.
This plea for aid in finding out
lets for Italys surplus population
is one which is likely to figure
largely in the talks with United
States Government leaders for
which Mr.. De Gasperi came to
Washington. He touched also on
other subjects involved in these
discussions.
There are, Mr.. De GaSperi said,
three political problems to ne
solved before Italy's contribution
to the defense of the Atlantic
community can be fully exploited.
Il refer" he said, ito our peace
treaty, an awkward and obsolete
shackle for the dignity of a free
nation.
The same can be said of Italy's
admission to the United Nations. -
He also said the question of re-
turning Trieste to Italy must be
solved.
Mr.. De GaSperi began his second
day of Washington conferences by
calling on Secretary of the Treas
ury Snyder with whom he talked
for more than half an hour. He
was accompanied by Italy's Min
lister of the Budget, Giuseppe
Pella. and James Dunn, U. S. Am
bassador to Italy.
Admission to U. N. Sought.
Secretary of State Acheson
promised Mr.. de Gasper1 in a
conference late yesterday. in
formed officials said, that this
Government will do everything it
can to get around Russia's re-
peated vetoes of Italy's applica-
ton for admission to the United
Nations.
In a speech to Congress yester-
day, the Italian Premier pleaded
for a reasonable rearmament" of
his country to bulwark the defense
of Western Europe and solemnly
pledged his country's help in the
event of World War III.
Mr.. de Gasperi will take time
out from his conferences with
Government officials tomorrow to
dedicate the equestrian statues or
Memorial Bridge at 1890 pm. and
for a luncheon at the Mayf1ower
Hotel given by the District Com
misSioners.
He is scheduled to leave here
Thursday morning by train for
New York.