Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-01
Which Way ItoIy?

Now that Premier Fanfanis government
has died aborning-killed OF by failure to win
vote of confidence from the Chamber Of
Deputies-Italy must once again. for the third
time since last June's elections, cope with
political crisis that lends great deal of aid
and comfort to the Kremlin. The Communists
and their fellow travelling left-wing Socialists
have of course played key role in precipitat-
ing this crisis. So have the extreme rightists
the Monarchists and the neo-Fascists. But
the chief cause of the trouble rests in the fact
that the middle-of-the road parties have been
feuding and warning among themselves for
several months past
These parties-the Christian Democrats.
the moderate Socialists, the Liberals and the
epublicans-constituted an effective govern
ing coalition until the elections last June. Al
though there is good reason to believe that
a recount (Which everybody seems strangely
reluctant to make) would tell quite diff
ferent story, the results of those elections
showed that the middle of the readers fell
fraction short of majority that would have
given them, in keeping with Italy'S "bonus"
electoral law IS per cent of the parliamentary
Seats-or more than enough to establish
stable and long-lived government. Unfortu-
nately, however, having failed to win that
bonus, they then began to develop factionalism
within themselves and to break up the common
front that was so successfully headed for
several years by Premier Alcide De Gasperi
and his Christian Democratic Party, which is
still by far the strongest in the country.
1t is primarily because of this situation
that two Premiers and their cabinets have fallen
within less than month In both cases, de-
feat has been. caused chiefly by a refusal of
the middle of-the -rOaders to compromise
among themselves on programs Of action.
Thus certain proposals have been too "leftist'
to suit some groups or too conservative" for
other groupS-with the result that there has
been no real government whatever. Mean
while, wholly apart from foreign policy, there
is urgent need to do something about ItalyS
pressing domestic problems. Although it has
made a remarkable economic recovery, the
country has no satisfactory emigration outlets
for its over-crowded population; it is poor
both in food resources and the raw materials
required for industry; and it is suffering from
a severe degree of joblessness, with about
million wholly unemployed and another
million engaged in only low-paying, part-time
work.
All this, quite obviously, Is meat for the
Reds particularly If French-style political in
stability continues to block effective curative
action. Mr. De Gasperi who may be called
upon again to form government. has deplored
what he regards as "alarmist" interpretations
of the situation. ut is not true" he has said,
that the Italian people are about to throw
themselves into the arms of communism" That
may be so, but still it is not hard to see how
the Kremlin will benefit If Italy-whch is
key member of the Atlantic alliance and which
is supposed to ratify the European Defense
Community treaty-keepS on drifting from one
crisis to another, in state of semi-paralysis,
because of indiscipline, disunity and bullheaded
pickering among the parties OF the center.