Last month, Christian Democratic Premier Alcide de Gasperi triumphantly returned to Italy with the promise of a U.S. loan in his pocket. He resigned, confident that he could form a new Cabinet without the Communists. But last week, when he finally managed to rig up a new Government,* he had gained little, if any. ground.
The cause of De Gasperi's setback was of interest to France, Holland and all other countries where Communist voting strength is far from a majority but where Communist influence over labor unions gives the party a practical veto (by strike) over Government action. This is what happened...