Confidential report from Michael MacWhite to Frederick H. Boland (Dublin)

On opening the election campaign in Rome yesterday, the Prime Minister, De Gasperi, openly accused Russia of maintaining a fifth column in Italy which is mainly responsible for the chain of strikes and disorders that tend to disorganise the economic life of the country and delay the work of reconstruction.

At the outset he reminded the huge audience, assembled in the Basilica of Constantine, of the conference held between the 25th and 27th of September last in a Polish castle, under the Bolshevik auspices, at which Italian and French Communists assisted and where it was decided to sabotage the 'Marshall Plan'. To this effect the 'Cominform' was created in accordance with the directions given by Zhdanov¹ which started with the assertion that 'America was a country of imperialism and reaction' while Russia and her satellites were 'for democracy and the national independence of peoples'. Their programme was 'to smash the Marshall Plan' and 'protect the independence of peoples threatened with servitude'.

These slogans and catch cries were made public in the speech of Zhdanov and in the declaration of the Cominform. But it was not stated that in addition to the plenary sitting another meeting was held, dedicated, in particular, to Italy and France, at which a special committee for French and Italian affairs was appointed with its seat in Belgrade and its object to put these two countries always in a minority. Its members naturally include Dimitrof, Pauker and Kardely who are already bound to the Soviets and also Longo (Italy) and Duclos (France) representing countries they want to rope in. Consequently, the instructions given to this Committee were to launch a campaign of violence against the Governments and agitation amongst the working masses.

Signor De Gasperi then referred to the accusations of the Communist press against his Government, charging them with having compromised the independence of the country by selling out to America and with leading the working classes to a life of misery and starvation. He quoted a series of speeches made by Communist leaders in which, they advanced the idea of creating an autonomous class organ fulfilling real acts of Government, destined to create an advance guard of a semi-military nature and composed of ex-partisans and youth brigades, which would naturally obey their orders.

'In a declaration made at the Communist Congress at Milan, Togliatti scoffed at the idea of having recourse to the organised forces of the party as he preferred democratic methods but they would not fail in case of necessity to employ revolutionary or Marxist methods in order to overcome the difficulties that lay ahead'. De Gasperi then pointed out the number of strikes that have taken place in Italy since last November at the instigation of Communist leaders and stated that while they wanted friendly relations with Russia they could not be satisfied with the Bolshevik international programme which was trying to organise and direct a fifth column in Italy. He then warned the Communists that the Government would employ all the forces at its disposal to ensure the freedom of the ballot box to all.

In this regard, it is only a week ago since the Minister of the Interior, Signor Scelba, - the strong man in the Cabinet - disclosed that the police have been ordered to 'eliminate' elements threatening to disrupt the April election which he affirmed will not be a repetition of the Balkan and central European so called elections. Clearly aiming his words at the Italian Communists the Minister said the police force had been strengthened to 150,000 men equipped with new automatic weapons and 200 armoured cars and were now in a position to confront any eventuality. They have now started on a campaign to clean up the hidden depots of weapons which the Communists dispose of and have already seized a considerable number of rifles, machine guns, mortars, hand grenades, as well as several thousand rounds of ammunition and large quantities of TNT. The Communist party, said Scelba, is basically revolutionary, but he was aware of its equipment and organisation and of the possibility of their having recourse to extra legal methods to conquer power, if they deemed it necessary.

A week ago, during the visit of one of the leading Italian Communists to Belgrade, an agency report from there stated that Tito² was thinking of abandoning Trieste to Italy. There may be something at the back of it, for there is no doubt that many Italians would vote Communist in response to such a 'generous' gesture. Once the Communists had gained power in Italy it matters little to which Communist State the city was attributed. There is also news that the Soviets are disposed to back Italy's demand for a mandate over her former African Colonies. This apparent display of sympathy also comes at a moment when it may be helpful to their Italian Communists in the election campaign.