ITALY ADJUSTING THE APERTURA EVER SINCE PREMIER AMINTORE FANFANI TEAMED UP WITH 
PIETRO NENNI'S SOCIALISTS ALMOST A YEAR AGO TO FORM ITALY'S APERTURA 
A SINISTRA ( " OPENING TO THE LEFT " ), THE 
UNEASY ALLIANCE HAS BEEN CLOUDED BY A SINGLE ISSUE : NENNI'S 
DEMAND FOR THE CREATION OF 15 REGIONAL ADMINISTRATIONS THAT HE FIGURES 
WILL BOOST HIS PARTY'S GRASS-ROOTS SUPPORT . FANFANI AGREED TO PAY 
NENNI'S PRICE BECAUSE HE NEEDED THE SOCIALISTS' 88 VOTES IN THE 
CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES IN ORDER TO STAY IN POWER, BUT HE 
STALLED ON ENACTING THE SCHEME JUST THE SAME . FANFANI FEARED 
THAT THE SOCIALISTS WOULD SIGN LOCAL ELECTORAL AGREEMENTS WITH COMMUNISTS AND 
THEREBY CONVERT THE NEW REGIONS INTO LEFTIST STRONGHOLDS . EVEN AFTER 
NENNI PLEDGED NOT TO COOPERATE WITH THE REDS, MANY OF FANFANI'S 
CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS REMAINED SKEPTICAL OF HIS PROMISE . WITH NENNI DEMANDING 
QUICK ACTION ON THE REGIONAL PLAN, THE LOOMING ALTERNATIVE WAS COMPROMISE 
OR COLLAPSE OF THE COALITION . LAST WEEK FANFANI ACTED . 
AFTER NINE HOURS OF ARGUMENT, CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS AND THEIR TWO SMALLER 
COALITION PARTNERS AGREED TO INTRODUCE PROMPTLY TWO BILLS COVERING TAXATION AND 
ADMINISTRATION OF THE REGIONS ; THEY POSTPONED LEGISLATION ACTUALLY CREATING THEM 
UNTIL A NEW PARLIAMENT CONVENES AFTER NATIONAL ELECTIONS IN MAY . 
THE SOCIALISTS GRUMBLED BITTERLY, BUT NENNI URGED THEM TO BIDE THEIR 
TIME . / IF THERE'S GOING TO BE A GOVERNMENT CRISIS, 
" HE TOLD A MEETING OF HIS PARTY'S CENTRAL COMMITTEE, " 
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE CAUSED BY US . " NENNI 
HAS HIS EYE ON A CABINET POST IN A NEW GOVERNMENT 
; CAUSING A CRISIS AT THE MOMENT WOULD BE IRRESPONSIBLE, FOR 
FANFANI THIS WEEK GOES OFF TO VISIT JOHN F . KENNEDY, 
AND IN A FORTNIGHT HAROLD MACMILLAN ARRIVES IN ROME . FELLOW 
TRAVELERS IN THE SOCIALIST HIGH COMMAND WERE WILLING, EVEN ANXIOUS, TO 
TOPPLE THE GOVERNMENT, BUT AS THE PARTY CONTINUED ITS TALKS AT 
WEEK'S END, IT APPEARED THAT NENNI AND THE COALITION WOULD SQUEAK 
THROUGH . 