"Pure of Fascism"

The new Premier of Italy, 71-year-old Ivanoe Bonomi, emerged literally out of the underground. In 1912, the Socialist Party expelled the managing editor of its newspaper, Avanti! ("Forward!"), the former school teacher and lawyer Ivanoe Bonomi. His successor : Benito Mussolini. In 1922, mild-mannered, politically independent Bonomi lost the job of Premier which he had held for eight stormy months. His successor: Mussolini. In obscurity during the era of Fascism Triumphant, Avvocato Bonomi eked out a living by ghosting routine briefs for young lawyers whose principal juristic equipment was a Black Shirt. Enter the Northerners. Last week, to the Grand Hotel in Rome came the leaders of the Socialists, Christian Democrats, Social Democrats, Communists, Liberals and the Action Party. In the South these men had effected a coalition. Now they were to meet the chieftains who had worked underground in Rome. Arrangements made in southern Italy were bound to change when Rome was liberated and the tougher, industrial, politically sophisticated North got its first voice in free Italy's affairs. But no one outside of Italy had expected so abrupt a change, so soon after the North met the South.

Out went Marshal Pietro Badoglio, the old royalist who had held on through thick & thin until he reached Rome. In as Premier, Minister of War and Minister of Interior went white-haired Ivanoe Bonomi. His Cabinet, carefully balanced between North & South, included representatives of all six parties, four leaders of the Roman underground.

Survivors from the old Cabinet included independent Count Carlo Sforza, elder Philosopher Statesman Benedetto Croce and aggressive young Communist Palermo Togliatti, who was known as "Ercole" (Hercules) when he worked with the defunct Communist International in Moscow. Said Bonomi of his Cabinet: "No one, absolutely no one, with any Fascist connections at all is in it; only men pure of Fascism."

Bonomi & Co. paid no attention to the House of Savoy. Crown Prince Umberto, who had just taken over nominal rule (as Lieutenant-General of the Realm) from his father, Vittorio Emanuele III, heard about the new Government after it was formed. The new ministers swore fealty to the nation, not to the crown.

When Pietro Badoglio, Italian royalty's strongest supporter, came down the grand staircase and walked out of the hotel, crowds cheered him. The marshal entered his long, blue roadster, waved a hand at his admirers. Then he was driven away.

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