Italy: Victory, of Sorts, in Sicily

"Attila is at the gates," thundered Ernesto Cardinal Ruffini, Archbishop of Palermo. Well, not exactly. Sicily was holding regional elections, and the Communists threatened to repeat the massive gains they had scored in Italy's national elections seven weeks ago. Red Boss Palmiro Togliatti himself was on hand to campaign. Back and forth across the island scurried hundreds of Communist squadristi (shock troops), trying to swing undecided voters.

Premier-designate Aldo Moro's Christian Democrats, having learned painfully from the April results that it does not pay to peddle anti-Communism softly, waged a tough campaign against "Khrushchev's false smiles." They could also point...

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