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Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 155, 6 August 1914, Page 6

Italy's reiterated intimation that she has decided to remain neutral will not afford Germany very much comfort. In order to justify her unadvertised mobilisation against the French frontier, the Teuton invented a story of a French aviator dropping bombs into Nuremberg, while a attempt at justification for the violation of The Hague Convention is a story of French warplanes reconnoitring" over Germany and Belgium. Bluffing to the last card, Germany turned to Italy, calling her attention to France's ''hostile acts," but Italy is not yet willing to become the dupe of the Hohenzollern. Her declaration of neutrality, while it will inflict a moral hurt on Germany, will set at rest all anxieties in France with respect to a possible invasion in the SouthEast by Italy. Italy, who has just begun to recover from the exalxusting campaign in Northern Africa, would have proved a thorn jn the side of France had she decided to throw in her lot with the German invaders. Probably one factor that influenced Italy in ar-1 riving at the decision she did, is that she has no great love for Austria, though a member of the Alliance. She remembers the time of the Austrian tyranny, and, interesting herself in the Balkan question, has curious designs on Albania, where she clashes with Austria, who is a rival for Albanian territory, too. So altogether there is no love lost between these two neighbours. Italy's decision goes a long way towards simplifying the naval question in the Mediterranean, where Britain is admittedly not so powerful as she should be. Italy and Austria combined on the Mediterranean would present a serious problem, the solution of which would probably 1 e beyond the capacities of the French battleships. With Italy staying at home, and Austria's attention occupied with the Balkan wolves on one side, and the advancing Russian on another, Germany occupies a position of dangerous isolation. If her plans in the West miscarry, if she be unable to smash France in short order, her whole stability is imperilled. And there is every indication that she will, find France a tougher nut to crack today than in 1870. Italy's abstention, Austria's harassment, and the knowledge that Britain and Belgium are against the German, will send France into the field confident, revengeful, and eager, as the invaders will find to their cost.