Site Ed. Note: We remain reliant for now on The St.
Petersburg Times for some of the syndicated columnists, until we
are able to obtain The News of these dates, at which point we
shall fill in the blanks.
On the editorial page, Drew Pearson, in Rome, tells of some
editors being bored with his being nice to people and wanting him to
start punching noses again. But he insists on continuing to be nice
for the nonce, begins by correcting a misjudgment contained in a
previous column in which he stated that General Manton Eddy, head of
Army press relations, had been promoted over others merely because
of his position. He believes that he had been wrong in so
concluding, as General Eddy had developed an excellent combat
record, making the promotion appropriate.
He also backtracks on some prior criticism leveled at former
Assistant Secretary of State James Dunn, now Ambassador to Italy. He
finds Ambassador Dunn to be doing a fine job, working to smooth
relations with the current Government in Italy.
He relates of being touched by the sight of the unloading of
the first "Friend Ship" in Naples taking place amid bombed
ruins and German bomb shelters while schoolchildren crowded around
waving U.S. flags and shouting, "Viva America!" Meanwhile,
stevedores worked all day Sunday to unload the ship as Italy seemed
to be smiling again. The picture made it appear that another war
might be prevented by such mutual good will.
The Italian Government had to remain abreast of occurrences
within the Politburo, lest it wind up under Soviet domination. It
was aware that the Kremlin shifted policy whenever it found one not
working. Such had been the case when the Truman Doctrine began
supporting Greece. The Soviets then shifted emphasis to Hungary,
purging anti-Communists in the freely elected Government, replacing
it with its own puppet satrapy.
Then Moscow began focusing on France and Italy, causing
strikes. The previous week, after the latter strategy had failed,
the emphasis shifted back to Greece and the new Communist "free
state" declared in the North by the guerrilla leader, General
Vafiades. The Soviets were also beginning to pay attention to
Austria again and might attempt to set up a puppet regime there as
well.