ITALY: To the Barricades!

Bald, pale Mario Scelba, Italy's tough Minister of the Interior, had studied a Cominform directive found by his police on a Red courier en route to France from Bulgaria. Scelba was convinced that French and Italian Communists were under orders to launch a spring offensive. One day last week he warned his fellow ministers: "We are in an emergency." He asked and received extraordinary power to keep public order, including reinforcements for the police and a ban on all public and factory meetings.

"Rearming of the poor people's assassins!" howled the Communist press....

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!