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    "localId": "470155125",
    "label": "Report, Central Intelligence Agency, Review of the World Situation, CIA 4-50",
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    "title": "Report, Central Intelligence Agency, Review of the World Situation, CIA 4-50",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/470155125",
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        "President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
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            "day": 19,
            "logicalDate": "1950-04-19",
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{
    "seq": 8,
    "pageIndex": 0,
    "type": "photo",
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    "ocrText": "SECRET\nfor the Communist East German regime is\nThe Communists have also gained strength\nstaged, it could have an important psycho-\nby exploiting discontent arising from Italy's\nlogical effect on the depressed morale of the\nserious agricultural problems. The Christian\nWest Berliners.\nDemocratic government has been dilatory in\n3. Resurgence of Communism in Italy.\ninstituting reforms in the improvement and\nThe recent Communist disorders in Italy,\ndistribution of farm land, especially in south-\nculminating on 22 March in the most success-\nern and central Italy. The issue is now being\nful general strike since the national elections\nfaced, but fundamental difficulties, such as\ntwo years ago, are storm signals indicating\nthe lack of adequate financing and the scar-\nthe chronic weakness of the Italian economy.\ncity of necessary agricultural equipment, mili-\nIndustrial and agrarian discontent has been\ntate against any measures that will alleviate\ndeveloping in Italy throughout the entire post-\nthe demands of the land-hungry peasants in\nthe near future.\nwar period. This basic condition has been\nobscured by the surface effects of US assist-\nThe Communists recently have been taking\nance in the form of food, raw materials, and\nadvantage of the government's ineffective\nindustrial equipment. The most serious prob-\nland reform policy by instigating an active\nlem is unemployment, widespread both in in-\nland seizure program. Popular pressure for\ndustry and agriculture, which reflects the\nimmediate amelioration of the land problem\neconomic unsoundness of an overpopulated\nhas become so strong that, for the first time,\ncountry lacking natural resources and ade-\nthe non-Communist trade union organiza-\nquate investment capital.\ntions have felt it necessary to join in the\nmovement.\nAt present there are approximately two mil-\nlion unemployed in Italy. To prevent addi-\nAs a consequence of these industrial and\ntional unemployment, the government has\nagricultural conditions, Communist pressure\ninfluenced leading industrialists to overstaff\nhas reached its highest level of activity since\ntheir factories. For example, the Mussolini-\n1948. To counter the increasing threat of\ncreated armaments and heavy metallurgical\nCommunist strikes and riots, the government\nindustry, a stronghold of the Communist labor\nhas been adopting more repressive measures.\norganization, has been sustained by govern-\nChief reliance has been placed on the armed\nment financial assistance despite the fact that\npolice under Interior Minister Scelba's vigor-\nthe workers thus subsidized could have been\nous direction. On 18 March, extraordinary\nmore efficiently employed in industries better\ndecrees restricting the right of public assem-\nadapted to Italian resources and potential\nbly and political meetings were issued. By\noverseas markets. The workers in these in-\nalternating violent direct action with parlia-\ndustries recognize that their jobs are in con-\nmentary attacks, the Communists have been\nstant jeopardy, and they are particularly\nforcing the government to adopt more au-\nsusceptible to Communist propaganda.\nthoritarian methods. As a result, moderate\nFear of increasing unemployment has, in\nprogressive groups, whose support is im-\nrecent months, been developing among in-\nportant to Premier de Gasperi, are being\ndustrialists and businessmen as well as gov-\nalienated.\nernment officials, because of the continuing\nOne consequence of the Communists' re-\ndeflationary state of the economy. Many of\nnewed activity has been to strengthen the\nthem believe that a serious business recession\nsmall neo-Fascist Italian Social Movement\nmay be imminent. This pessimistic outlook\n(MSI). As Communist-led strikes have more\nhas been fostered in the last six months by\nand more threatened industrial operations\nan appreciable reduction in Italian exports as\nand the government has failed to deal firmly\ncompared with export levels of the correspond-\nwith land seizures by the peasants, some con-\ning months a year earlier. The Communist\nservative industrialists and landlords have\nlabor unions have capitalized on these un-\nswitched their support to this neo-Fascist\nsettled economic conditions by championing\nmovement. This party cannot yet be con-\nthe workers' grievances.\nsidered an important political influence, but\nDECLASSIFIED\nor\n(E)\n4\nC.11652, OSD letter, 3\nand\nSec.\nNARS\nDate\n4-18-77"
}