Italy Stirred by Disclosures
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Secret Government Files Published Italy Stirred by Disclosures By George Weller 1 Masao Daily blawa !Wale. ROME, Feb. 14—Europeo, a mass circulation picture maga- zine, has gotten access to some secret files of SID, Italy's equivalent of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, and is publishing them. The revelations, which are stirring Italy even more than the recent Cabinet crisis, In- clude; • Seven years ago SID saved Giovanni Gronchl, then President, from being kid- naped and possibly assassinat- ed by a rival. • Pope John XXIII pre- ferred present Socialist Demo- GRONCHI POPE JOHN XXIII GIUSEPPE SARAGAT cratic President dulseppe Sa . secrets of Italian Intelligence service revealed by picture magazine. ragat, an anti-clerical Catholic,' to his opponents, because they were "atheistic" Catho- Yugoslavia's President Tito to United States last year after be photocopies of documents lics. try to keep the Communists columnist Drew Pearson from SID's secret files. Some • Vice Premier Pietro Nen- of Italy-arid - France from go- named him as Italy's future are initialed "G," allegedly ni's Socialist Party has been ing the same route. Defense Minister. The Defense by Gronchi, a leftist Christian financed by Britain's Labor The revelations published Ministry, headed by Socialist Democrat. Party. by Europeo are the outcome Democrat Roberto Tremelloni, Europeo says It got the • Soviet Premier "'Own- of a complaint by Sicilian Sen. is In charge of the SID. documents from former direc- shchev, alarmed when Albania Giroiamo Messeri that SID Europeo backs its articles tors of SID who tailed leading turned to Red China, asked agents tailed him in the with what are purported to See SID, ES, Col. 1 E 8 W etheiday , Feb.22. 1967 THE WASHINGTON POST SID—From Page El Disclosure of Files Arouses Italians politicians, allegedly on Gron- on the aspirations of his rival, chi's orders. Saragat, dated Max 14, 1961, The attempt to strike down said: "Saragat is believed to Grouch!, now 79 and a Sen- ator for life, was supposed to be the Pope's candidate. In have been plotted by his con- Rome, in leftist-center circles, servative adversary, Congress- it is believed that Pope John man Randolfo Pacciardi. Gron- XXIII woad rather have an chi's flirtations with the Com. anti-clerical Catholic like ar- munists are said to have agat in the QuIrinale alarmed Pacciardi, who had Italian White House) than become strongly anti-Commu- such Catholic atheists as Ces- nist. Having served as Min- are Merzagora, Pietro Cam- ister of Defense, he had been Gaetano Martino or even in charge of SID before Gron- Antonio Segni." chi's officers took over. Segni became President, suc- The place allegedly selected ceeding Gronchi. for the attack on Gronchi was Saragat Is represented in hie home town of Pisa. SID, the secret reports as having Informed of the danger by a gained his information about "Dr. X," whose identity Euro- Khrushchev from the Social- peo says it is shielding, set in ists' Second International. motion an elaborate plan to A report dated 1951 says protect Gronchi. that Nenni, then allied with No action was ever , taken the Communists (he broke against Pacciardi. Gronchi with them over Hungary in carried out his plan for an 19561, "received heavy finan- agreement with Russia and cial help from the Labor made a state visit to Moscow. Party, which the British are Gronchi has admitted that still continuing, to give him special precautions for his pro- the courage and material tection were made during the means to conduct his struggle time he was in danger. inside the party" (against the The SID report to Gronchi Communists). .