Meanwhile, in Italy

While Japanese voters were punishing the L.D.P., an Italian parliamentary commission digging into Lockheed payoffs has been winding up its own probe. The commission has indicted former Premier Mariano Rumor, two former Defense Ministers and nine lesser figures for accepting $1.5 million in Lockheed cash. Now the 20-member board of inquiry faces ticklish legal and political problems. Under Italy's bribery statutes, prosecution of graft-takers is nearly impossible unless those who supplied the cash are also charged. Last week the board considered indicting former Lockheed President A. Carl Kotchian and at least half a dozen other Americans, but decided to postpone such action pending testimony by Rumor and his Italian associates.

There is a chance that none of the defendants will come to trial, for two reasons: 1) indictment of the Americans might lead to pressures for their extradition--an unlikely prospect; 2) with Italy asking for U.S. loans to shore up the lira, pressing criminal charges against U.S. citizens might seem tactless. But the commission may act against the Americans anyway, if only to diffuse Italian cynicism about politicians and that international symbol of trouble--Lockheed.

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