Tooth & Nail

A fortnight ago, the government of Premier Alcide de Gasperi narrowly escaped a parliamentary defeat when dissatisfied wings of his own Demo-Christian party voted against their chief on a minor issue. Last week, De Gasperi faced a parliamentary test on a major issue: defense. Up for approval by Italy's Chamber of Deputies was a government bill asking for 250 billion lire ($400 million) to modernize Italy's armed forces. Said De Gasperi: "This battle I do not fear."

Minister of Defense Randolfo Pacciardi opened the debate for the government. Said he: "Since 1945, there has been only one imperialistic expansion movement in Europe--that of the Soviet state . . . The war potential of Russia and East Asia mounts to astronomical figures

. . ." That, said Pacciardi, was the "one & only reason" for Western Europe's defensive effort. Pacciardi relentlessly drove the debate toward the issue of loyalty to country, which had caused the recent split in the Italian Communist Party (TIME, Feb. 12). Turning to the Red benches, he cried: "If tomorrow Russia attacked Italy, would you fight against Russia?"

In the anger of debate, the Red deputies forgot themselves so far as to tell the truth. In chorus, they shouted: "Mai, mai! [never, never!]" A moment later, some of the cooler heads snapped back to a less candid expression of the Party line with shouts of: "Provocateur!" and "Russia will never attack any country!"

But Pacciardi had made his point. The windup of his two-hour speech brought down the house: "We want peace, but it is necessary to convince those who want war that the peace-loving peoples will defend their freedom and independence, if necessary, with pickaxes, with their nails, with their teeth."

Then De Gasperi asked the chamber to express its confidence. The debate boiled on for six hours, ended in a walkout of Red deputies. The chamber voted for the bill, and for De Gasperi, 325 to 16.

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