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University Daily Kansan Friday. December 6. 1963
New Italian Premier Seen as Compromiser
Rv United Press International
News Analyst
Aldo Moro, the new premier of Italy, is recognized even by his critics as a dedicated democrat. His speeches are as long as Fidel Castro's.
Moro's political discourses contain as much agonizing and introspective reasoning as a play by Pirandello.
At the age of 47, he has gained a reputation as a painstakingly cautious man who has tried to shun the political spotlight, preferring to remain in the background.
BUT HE IS considered the man who for the past five years kept Italy's biggest political party, the Christian Democrats, from splitting into two or more factions. It is doubtful whether another politician could have performed that Herculican task.
Moro was 23 when he became president of the Federation of Italian Catholic University Students—an incubator of future democratic leaders—in 1939. He led the post until 1942 and later served as president of the movement of Catholic graduates and editor of the Catholic magazine, "Studium"—all posts that required firmness of purpose and unusual diplomatic gifts.
After the fall of Fascism, he was elected on the Christian Democratic ticket to the Constituent Assembly which worked out Italy's Republican constitution in 1945-47.
His first cabinet post was as Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs for Premier Alcide de Gasperi in 1948-50.
IN THE FOLLOWING years, Moro emerged as one of the leading men of the younger generation of Christian Democrats headed by Fanfani. When De Gasperi suffered a setback in the 1953 general elections and the Fanfani men took over the party. Moro's diplomatic skill earned him the post of Christian Democratic chamber leader. In that key job, he tried to bring unity to a party which had caused three cabinets to fall in 18 months.
Moro next served as Justice Minister under Premier Antonio Segni (1955-57). Then became Education Minister under Adone Zoli (1957-58) and in the second Fanfani cabinet (1958-59).
That government fell dramatically in January, 1959, when a handful of Christian Democrats voted against Fanfani in parliament to protest his unsuccessful "center-left" overtures to the socialists of Pietro Nenni.
At that point Moro rather unex-
pectedly took the reins of the party.
THE PARTY made a 180-degree turn from left to right. Antonio Segni took over as premier of a one-party Christian Democratic cabinet with support from the rightists. In a party congress later that year, Moro and Segni battled against Fanfani's center-left wing and scored a narrow but clear victory.
FANFAMI SET up a coalition government with the pro-western Social Democrats and Republicans, resting on parliamentary support from Nenni. The price included such measures as electrical nationalization, which was rammed through parliament last November.
But far from exploiting the victory in the interests of one faction, Moro gave the Fantani men a share in the party executive proportionate to their strength. Little by little, the wounds of 1959 were healed.
But Fanfani's long-range goal—and by now Moro's also—still was the "center-left," a government that would test the availability of Nenni Socialists and induce them to break their ties with the communists'
When the Socialists gave no sign of breaking with the communists in return, Moro applied the brakes. In a hectic series of meetings in January, he refused to keep his commitment for regional (state) governments.
In a historic Christian Democratic congress last year, Moro succeeded where Fanfani has failed. He convinced hesitant moderates that the center-left was the only answer to the communist threat.
The result was a near-crisis and a paralysis of the center-left until the general elections last April.
Fanfani, earmarked by the party as the scapegoat, resigned as premier on May 16. Almost unanimously the party asked Moro to take over.
HE OPENED TALKS with the leaders of other non-communist parties. There were some false starts and an interim government, but Moro persisted.
Finally he got down to serious negotiations with Nenni, the Republicans and the Social Democrats. Pro-communists within Nenni's party threatened to bolt it rather than concede to Moro's demands for a clear commitment to the Western Alliance.
A faction within the Christian Democrats resisted just as hard against any concessions to the Socialists. But Moro kept at it.
The result, pending an expected vote of confidence in parliament, is a new Italian government that some political experts believe may be the country's strongest in years.
Kay Bethea, instructor in piano, will present the next recital of the Faculty Recital Series at 8 Wednesday night in Swarthout Recital Hall.
Kay Bethea To Give Next Faculty Recital
Miss Bethea holds both the Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from Louisiana State University.
She will perform "Prelude and Fugue in B Minor, Book II" by Bach, "Sonata in E Flat Major" by Haydn, Beethoven's "Six Bagatelles, Op. 126," "Symphonic Etudes, Op. 13" by Schumann and "Prole do Bebe." (The Baby's Family, Series 1), by Villa-Lobos.
CHICAGO — (UPI) — A communications scientist said today the American pay check may become extinct.
Pay Check Doomed
Joseph W. Halina of the International Telephone and Telegraph Corp., Paramus, N. J., told the National Automation Conference that automation techniques eventually will include the wage earner's weekly check.
"The average wage earner may never need to handle his check," he said.
Texas Newswoman To Be Lady Bird's Press Agent
WASHINGTON — (UPI)—For the first time a former newspaperwoman will be press secretary to the First Lady.
She is Mrs. Elizabeth Carpenter, who will become White House spokeswoman for Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson.
"Liz" as she is known to Washington officialdom, has had an intimate association with the Johnson family since 1942. She came to Washington then as a journalism graduate from the University of Texas in her native state.
SHE EXUDES ENTHUSIASM and does not slow down except when she can get away from Washington. She has a mobile face, prematurely gray hair and a quick wit. She regards herself as her own worst enemy and diets constantly.
President Johnson, then a congressman, and Mrs. Johnson attended her wedding 20 years ago when she married Lester Carpenter, another Texan and a newspaperman.
Liz temporarily gave up reporting to fly around the country with Lady
Bird Johnson during the 1960 campaign. She handled publicity, helped with speeches and lent enthusiasm when Mrs. Johnson went to whip up female votes for the Kennedy-Johnson ticket.
After the election, she was dubbed Executive Assistant to the Vice President. She also retained her post as Mrs. Johnson's right hand woman.
In serving two VIP masters Liz said, "Sometimes I felt like a two-way stretch."
She knows President Johnson's philosophy, his life's goals, his quirks—and his trigger temper. She also knows his warmth and kindness.
PRESIDENT JOHNSON'S STAFF rarely talks back to him, but Mrs. Carpenter once did. Johnson shouted at her over an intercom system: "Why don't you use your head?" "I'm too busy using yours," she said.
As the First Lady's press secretary she will have a White House telephone in her home and a White House chauffeur to drive her to work. She will also have to answer that telephone at any time of night.
THE BELL TELEPHONE COMPANIES SALUTE: JACK SELLERS
Jack Sellers (B.S.E.E., 1956) typifies the successful engineer who takes advantage of the opportunities offered in the communications field at Southwestern Bell.
In just a few short years, he has moved forward through four major assignments into his present position as District Engineer at Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Jack's present responsibilities concern the engineering of new outside plant equipment for 33 towns and cities in northeast Oklahoma. Expenditures range upwards to $700,000 annually. This is a job calling for administrative as well as engineering
skill. Jack has demonstrated both talents, admirably.
Throughout his previous assignments, Jack has shown his capacity for technical and administrative duties. Personnel under his supervision have been responsible for all outside telephone plant equipment in key areas. He has supervised as many as 54 people at one time.
Jack Sellers, like many young engineers, is impatient to make things happen for his company and himself. There are few places where such restlessness is more welcomed or rewarded than in the fast-growing telephone business.
BELL TELEPHONE COMPANIES
CONTROL
TEMPORARY
EJECTION