THE SAVIOUR OF ITALY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXL, Issue 6164, 9 January 1904, Page 7

THE SAVIOUR OF ITALY

<By William Le Queux, in the London Daily A y . Mail.) The visit of King Victor Emmanuel and Queen Elena to London marks a new epoch in the changeful history of Italy. The people are everywhere expressing a conviction that the visits of their Sovereigns abroad will not only establish on a ton basis that relationship witt France that had been so long strained almost to the paint of breaking, but will also cement still further their strong friendliness with England. It has long .been recognised that for the preservation of European and Italy must act in unison m the Mediterranean, and although Mr ChamberWs remarks at Malta gave much offence at the time, and the Puke of Norfolk's speech at Bom© was not altogetner oomteoua to the Government of Italy, yet both these unfortunate incidents were happily «>*»»# *»" gotten after the triumphant visit of King ■Edward; to the Italian capital- . Time net so very long.agtfeithe

i —when Italy was denounced as poor-and retrograde ; a beautiful climate with a lazy populace. But, as every dweller in Italy knows, things have greatly changed under the new regime. Before King Victor Emmanuel uuiie to the throne the Englishman profited J one lira twenty oentesiini —or one shilling and often more—on every sovereign ho clianged; while to-day the rate is Tiot. one farthing in the pound, a fact which, speaks volumes for uuo present prosperity ol the country. Everywhere one sees increased activity; i everywhere one meets witu new enterprises an- new industries. The Duke of the Abruzzi, Italy's coming man, holds the Polar record ; Marconi is first in the invention of wireless telegraphy. Three years ago the trade, of the ports and commercial centres was rapidly declining. At leghorn, Genoa, and Naples men were bewailing the many commeTc.al failures, but the recent reports I of Major Percy Chapman, British Consul- . General at Florence, and of Mr Montgomery Carmichael, our Consul at leghorn, show | that to-day a wave of prosperity has sud- j denly swept across Italy, and that in the ) brief space of two years trade has almost doubled. A°ain, in social life, we notice marked prosperity on every hand. Until the dawn of the new regime the weai.uy classes had no faith in their own country, and preferred to invest or spend tneir money outside Italy. They sojourned a couple of months in Rome or Florence in winter; a month at the sea—Viareggio, Rimini, or Leghorn, and the rest of the year in Pans, London, or Berlin—in fact, anywhere but in Italy. It was not considered chic for ladies to wear Italian-made gowns, because, there being no enterprise, the styles of Italy were always two seasons behind' those of Paris. Yet to-day the commercial classes have awakened to the fact that by failing to cater for their own people, they lost their trade ; therefore to-aay, m any of the best shops in Milan, I'lorence, Turin, or Rome one finds the latest Parisian models actually at a lower cost than they can be obtained at such emporiums as the Louvre or Bon Marche. Hence, while trade is going up by leaps and bounds, it also serves to keep the money in the country. Again, quite recently, a great iron-smelt-ing industry lias been founded at Piombino, and the mining enterprises ior which foreign capital is now easily procurable, are springin" up everywhere. Home life, too, lias b<£n aff toted by this new era of prosperity. Hitherto even the best Italian palaces andi villas were bare places, usually carpetlessi and echoing, with uncomfortable furniture and a general air of cheerlessness -which always impressed the Englishman. Nevertheless, with the decreased Customs duties and newly-awakened commercial enterprise the Italians of the upper classes are rapidly commencing to copy English models in furniture, house construction, carriages, and even the serving of that thoroughly English meal—tea. It cannot be for a moment denied that all this remarkable prosperity is due to the initiative of. the King, .'i'he unfortunate King Humbert was succeeded by a monarch whose first speech from uue throne struck terror into the hearts of those who had misgoverned Italy. In the course of those few eentences which are now memorable, he asked the people to believe in him, to remain patient, and he promised them that he would do his duty both, as a member of the Royal House of Savoy and as their Sovereign. And how lias he kept faith with his subjects? Probably the most active and one of the most liberal-minded monarchs in Europe, he has at his right hand Ministers who, notwithstanding the fierce opposition of the Socialists, have succeeded in placing Italy in the respected position she is an to-day. The •King, modest, unassuming, and usually accompanied by the Queen, is continually travelling in every corner of his kingdom —often m a motor-oai —always seeking information ; visiting factories, inquiring personally into the best means of alleviating distress and providing worK for the unemployed, and ever ready to adopt reforms and readjust the oppressive burden of taxation. In a hundred ways dm-uig the past two years the King has initiated reforms which have all conducted to the well-being of his kingdom, and in these *& as an open secret that he has been aided to a very great extent by her Majesty, who, for her sample mode of life, her good nature, and her domesticity, may well be compared with our own Queen Alexandra. As an instance of the manner in which the King lias swept and garnished the Government offices let us take the following incident,, which occurred not- long ago. His Majesty noticed great delay in a certain department, and resolved to ascertain its reason. He, therefore, went tothe office at nine in the morning and awaited the arrival of the chief clerk and his subordinates. The first of the latter arrived at eleyen, and the chief did not put in an appearance till 12.30. When he did he found his Sovereign sitting in his. chair and doing his work! To relate the denouement is needless. Another incident occurred a. few weeks ago. His Maejsty left the Quirinal late in the evening, and on his return was about to enter the palace by a side entrance, whereupon he was stopped by a sentry. "Don't you know mc?" his Majesty inquired. "No, I don't," was the soldier's gruff reply. "But if you were the King himself you would not pass here without the pass-word!' His Majesty went on, entered the palace by the front gates and 1 approached the sentry, who at once raised the alarm. When the man discovered, however, that the stranger was really the King, he was covered with shame and confusion, but instead of receiving a reprimand he was given a present for his strict attention to duty. King Victor Emmanuel is a man of action and quick intelligence, whose whole heart and soul are in the interests of his nation. In the short space of two years he has effected changes and reforms tuat are little short of marvellous. Ho has shown his people what they can do if they will; he has shown England that sha now has an ally of _ strength and resource; and he has also, by j his recent tact with the Vatican and by his j . constant efforts for the welfare and pros- | perity of his subjects, already proved himself *the actual saviour of that most complex ; of all nations —modern Italy.