Oldal 1 [1]
OCR
XeA-Noell. for December 1952. REPORT FROM ITALY. With the gradual approach of the elections, the domestic policy of Italy is more and more entering the stage of nervous preparationse In these preparations, three facbttrs have more and more increasing importance: the communist preparations; the crisis in the Christian Democratic Party; the monarchist question. As we already pointed out in a previous dispatch, the Communist Farty, after its success in the municiapl elections, did not what it was exp -cted to do, namely to enter into a phase of violent agitationse In fact communists have been and conthnue to be apparently more quiet than they ever were before. Sut under this outward quictness, int-nse activity is hiding. Despite the tremendous efforts of Mario Scel¥a's po ice,. tho preparation of Italisn communists in the field of parties and groups is continuing. “here has been recently again conclusive evidence of arm smuggling from Albania into Italy. This is the thing which cannot be preventeue. The partisan groups mostly recruited from the communist youth, r-ceives secret training for civil war purposes. While at present it would be absurd to expect a civil war in Italy, these clear-c ut preparation nevertheless should not be overlooked. In any case, it must be clearly understood that in ease of an international war, +talian communists, supported by Ked paratroopers, could do enough mischief to renaer the value of the Italian basis at least questionalbe for the free nations. it should never be forgotten that, while the military value of Italian is often open to question, everybody agrees that they are first-class partisans. Hence, the danger of the communist partisan preparations. While these preparations are under way, the communists continue another line of policy, with ever-ingreasing success: the infiltration and organization — of groups, officially left-wing but not communist. We have amply reported on these matters alresdy in the paste. But it is necessary to point out that in the last few weeks the succ ss of this policy causes increasing concein to anti-communists. This is true to large groups of the gso-cakled Republican Party. Outwarldy, the Republican ‘arty Still is intact, and even represented among the supporters of the governm nt, But inside the Party has been broadly infiltrated and can be made to collapse if and when the communists decide. A Similar Situation exists in the faction=torn Socialist Party. At the recent Party Congress, the so-callea right-wing Socialists of Saragat won over the left-wing Socialists of Romita. But this victory, despite appearances, was not due to the opinion of the “arty members, but to some intra-party maneuvers. The result has been that many of the Komita | socialists have become extremely disgruntled and are no longer immune to overtures from the Nenni group. ‘his is a dangerous situation and one which will demand closest attention. vespite appearances, the communists continue to progress and are thus a very real danger at the coming general elections. U2.
