Front Cecil SprigRe,
Reuter Special Correspondent.
NAPLES.
A group of Catholic trade union leaders held a congress on Monday, at Salerno, to
discuss _the reconstitution of the Italian Confederation of Workers, popularly called the " White Confederation."
It was the counterblast to the congress held at Salerno. about a month ago in which the reconstitution of the Confederation of Labour,' popularly known as the ' Red Confederation," was determined.
Until a month ago, both " Red " and " White" labour leaders /were' declaring that in the new halt both Marxist arid Christian workers would be represented by a single Confederation instead of returning to the preFascist system, in which " Reds" represented about 2,000,000 workers and " Whites" 1,0001000. Such a union was actually achieved for a time at Burl, but agreement broke down before it got started.
At the first Salerno conference, which originally intended to endorse the union. the " Whites " failed to appear. But the " Reds " declared that they had good hopes of a permanent working agreement regarding strictly trade union Questions with di. " Whites."
lhe rift widened, however, when Catholic representatives took strong public exception to the participation of " Reds" in the political mass demonstration the Sunday before last in Naples.
PRESS ATTITUDE
The Catholic trade unionist press has emphasised the differences between " Reds " and "Whites" for some time past. An editorial in 11 Popolo, organ of the Christian Democratic Party at Naples, shows that differences also exist in the political field. The Christian Democratic Party, the paper writes, has so far restrained its criticism against the Left Wing in order to maintain a united front within the Committee of Liberation.
"Perhaps we were wrong not to speak more clearly," it says. " We more truly than anyone else are thoroughly. convinced of the necessity for the abdication of King Victor Emmanuel for the sake of initiating a genuine national recovery. But we arc convinced that the sharp crisis and grievous dissension which paralyses the country can find a solution inside the constitution, without having recourse to adventures and Jacobinism. Such extremism compromises the results of the whole action of the anti-Fascist parties. The delirium of revolution merely excited against itself a still more