Blood in the Palace

Outside Rome's Viminale Palace (seat of the Government) a huge crowd of paper-hatted, overalled workers and homeless war veterans shivered patiently in the first chill of approaching winter. Inside, spokesmen sought to air their grievance: 30,000 laborers had been discharged that morning from public-works projects.

But the Government would not listen. The crowd's patience changed, to sullenness, to anger; shouts became a frenzied roar. Socialist Vice Premier Pietro Nenni tried to mollify them. Later, a shirtless young man in blue overalls said:

"I was among those who lifted him up and carried him on our shoulders so that he could speak to the crowd. Suddenly the cavalry charged . . . then a flying squad came in. They beat everyone, including Nenni, who with his hands held up to protect his eyeglasses, kept shouting "I am Nenni, I am Nenni!' "

The infuriated demonstrators quickly counterattacked with sticks and stones. They swarmed through the palace, splintering furniture, shattering windows before they were halted 100 feet from Premier Alcide de Gasperi's office. Three hours later, they finally drifted off. Behind them they left two dead and 141 injured in Rome's worst riot since the angry days which had spawned Mussolini's regime.

What was the trouble? Said one worker: "There is urgent work to do: anyone can see there are no houses; the water supply has broken down; land needs reclaiming; we must have sanitation. And we are building a road that is parallel to another." Explained another: ". . . They make us do useless work, then sack us because it is useless."

Who had started the riot? Preliminary investigations pointed to agents provocateurs in the crowd. Communists blamed "monarchists and Fascists." Rightists blamed Communists. Said white-haired Police Chief Luigi Ferrari: "God alone knows."

At week's end a placatory 35% wage increase had been granted; the works projects continued. To bolster Premier de Gasperi's Government's sagging morale, word came that the U.S. would send $50 million to reimburse the Italians for lire lent to the U.S. Army.

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