Watch Italy
The ending of the three weeks' crisis in Italy with the formation by Signor de Gasperi of a new Government consisting only of members of his own Christian Democrat Party together with five independents, has attracted little attention in the British Press. It is true that the goings-on of Italian politicians in the past have not been such as to make the subject attractive, but if the outside world neglects Italy in the next few months it will do-so at its peril. This is the first party Government to be formed in Italy since the war. All the others have been coalitions. The Communists and left- wing Socialists have already marked the occasion with abuse of the Christian Democrats and hints of unconstitutional action. In this atmosphere of experiment and unrest, heated by the fear of further inflation and the breakdown of the rationing arrangements, the new Government faces the task of securing acceptance for a new constitution and putting into effect a peace treaty whiclt-was only accepted after bitter protest. Ratification of the treaty by the Powers cannot be long delayed now, and when it is complete the Allied forces will be withdrawn and the Foreign Ministers' deputies will at once set about deciding the future of the former Italian colonies in Africa, a matter which must be settled within a year. In the meantime it is* unlikely that the co-operation between a Right- Centre Italian Government and the Communist Yugoslays will be so cordial as to dispose of the outstanding difficulties in Venezia Giulia in a short time. It is already clear that, having avoided their differences over the government of Trieste by giving wide powers to the future Governor of the Free Territory, the Great Powers are now painfully renewing •their acquaintance with those differences in a dispute over the appointment to that delicate and dangerous post ; while at Pola the incoming Yugoslays are doing their best to speed the departure of the last Italians with insult and injury. In short, Italy is not the least dangerous of the cluster of storm-centres in the Central and Eastern Mediterranean.
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