Preventing Paralysis

Standing before the Chamber of Deputies last week, Premier Mario Scelba said: "I have the honor to present . . . the law for the European Defense Community." A left-wing voice cried out: "You call that an honor?" and the Communists and Nenni (proCommunist) Socialists set up a chorus of hoots and jeers at Scelba.

Later, before 50,000 dirt farmers gathered in convention in Rome, Scelba said: "The Communists, from their point of view, are right to oppose EDC, because every act which tends to make our democracy stronger only makes more improbable their dream of world domination . . . The Reds say EDC menaces peace. It is not true. They tried to convince the Italian people that the Atlantic pact would provoke war. But behold, five years have passed and . . . war is further away than ever. Why, even Russia has formally asked to join the Atlantic pact . . . We have learned a lot about the Communists. We shall not permit Parliament to suffer paralysis. The government will do its duty without boasting, but without weakness." Scelba did not say what he would do to oppose Communist filibustering and roughhousing in the Chamber when EDC comes up for action. One plan under discussion: if the Reds (and the neoFascists, who also oppose EDC) again start throwing inkwells, tearing up desks and making football charges into Demo-Christian ranks, government movie cameras in the galleries will film the proceedings, which will then be shown to the Italian people.

Scelba's biggest difficulty is the precarious nature of his own four-party majority. Last week the Communists offered a budget amendment reducing the Premier's "secret funds" from $800,000 to $400,000. As usual in secret ballots, voting was done by means of little black and white balls (white for yes, black for no).

The Red amendment won a hairline majority, 281 to 276--apparently because some disgruntled coalition Deputies (Demo-Christians or others) tossed their voting balls into the corridor instead of the ballot boxes. When the discarded balls were found, Scelba's men got the vote invalidated. The amendment was not important enough to involve a vote of confidence. This week, cracking the whip before the Easter recess, Mario Scelba's leadership put the issue to a vote again, and squeaked through, 295 to 284.

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