ITALY IN WAR TIME.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15393, 25 September 1915, Page 9

ITALY IN WAR TIME.

LIFE IN LOMBABDY. (SPECIALLY WRITTEN' FOR "THE PRESS.") (Bt Mrs Julian Grande.) BERNE, July 31. I have just returned from a visit to Ita!y. The last time I was there was at the end of May, on tho very dav of Italy's declaration of war. After two months, I found JSlilan, which is now the industrial capital of Italy, unchanged in outward appearance, save for tho fact that everyone 6cemed unusually busy. All the great metallurgical factories are working day and night producing ammunition. The train and tram services are running as usual, and tho only thing which seems to have vanished is the Italy of tho tourist in charge of Gorman conductors, many of whom were doubtless epics. Lombardv, in the heart of which Milan is situated, as well as the provinces of Liguria and Emilia, arc now one vast orchard. It is true that the women help in the field work, but they always do so in Italy. It is not true, however, that women alone are doing tho agricultural labour, for there aro plenty of men and young men, too. Indeed, in travelling' through tho country districts of Lombardy I should not have known that it was wartime, though in Milan the crowds of soldiers seen everywhere would have told mo that tho state of Italy was not normal. Indeed, those who want to see modern Italy and the modern Italian they ire ally are will do so now, when there are no tourists and none expected, better than would hlive been possible at any other time. Formerly when a British tourist arrived in Italy, ho went to an hotel, kept probably by a German, with a Swiss hall porter, and he was piloted about by guides who were also not Italians, and whose information about Italy was by no means always such as could have been approved by Italians.

Th 0 younger generation of Italians to-day often feel aggrieved, and even angered, by the foreigner's inability to see in Italy aught save the great achievements and relics of the past, and by their having no eye s for what has been done within the last few years or what is being done in the present. This, however, is doubtless largely because, everyone, while visiting Italy,was constantly consulting a German-made guide-book, and was at the mercy of German or Austrian interpreters, save sjcli few as knew Italian; Even in commerce, how many English business houses transacted business direct with Italian firms, and not through a German agent? It may very well be, however, that this is one of the conditions which lias passed away with the beginning of the European war. and which will never picvail again, for the Italians of to-day. especially th e younger generation, the men between twenty and thirty, who have just gono to the front with such enthusiasm, or who are preparing to go, are not poets or sentimentalists, but. eminently practical people, imbued with the idea that Italy must now become a truly great Power and cease to be a vassal of Germany or Austria.

The notion that the Italians cannot fight was speedily and now even the Austrian I'iess admits that they can do so. To deny this, in fact, would be difficult, seeing that the Austrians have put some oi their best remaining troops on the Italian front, with some of "their finest artillery, and after only two months of war Italy had already caytured twenty-tour thousand " Aiistro-Hungarian prisoners, while she hereelf had lost only about 1100 prisoners. Moreover, such Austrian prisoners as I saw were not old men, of the last line, but troops of the first lino. There were also some German prisoners among them, who, however, were said to be volunteers. As for the wounded in Italy, they include far more Austrians than .Italians.

It is amusing to read the constant reiterations in the Austrian Press that Italy is not united, that the people

are rioting, and that food has become scarce and impossibly dear. When all j i s< j to P' C 6 fail, then some scandal is | raked up about d'Annunzio. to beat i whom any stick has of late been good enough. Now, I have had occasion to j converse with Italians of very different classes, and every shade of political opinion, and one and all positively assure me that never in any circumstances has Italy been so united as now. u° ne un ' vprs °l aim is to rid the world of Prussian autocracy and Prussian militarism, and ensure a prolonged period of peace. As a leading Italian dip.omat remarked to me: "You need not be uneasy about Italy's not being tinited or not persevering until she obtains a victory. If -vou could onlv induce the so-called democracy in EngIi to rca '' sc th* l situation so thoroughly as the Italians are doing, all WOll'fl po woU." Italy to-day is calm, and none of the noi«y demonstrations have occurred, such as those which marked the opening_ of tbe Tripoli campaign. The riots which took place in Milan shortly after the declaration of war. when Gorman property was destroyed by the mob, were caused by people of the same category as those who were guilty of certain excesses in England. The Chief of Police in Milan, who was appointed years ago by Signor Giolitti. was acting on instructions given him by the latter when in power, and not rescinded. These instructions were to the effect that the mob must not be interfered with too much, becauso was the mainstay of tho Giolitti regime. The Chief of Polico has since been removed, as well as some of his subordinates, and in Milan to-day life and property are as safe as in anv large English city. In fact, it was tfie Germans who were often the cause of trouble. just as in Berne, where the police complain that they have scarcely anything to do now that almost all the Kaiser's subjects have gone to tho war. An untruth which Italy's enemies are extremely fond of repeating about her is that she is running short of food which is said to be extremely dear — this, perhaps, because Austria and Germany would like to secure some of that food and eannot now do so. It would bo well if food were as cheap in Uerno as it is in Milan. As for fruit, I paid in Milan 40 centimes for two pounds of the very best apricots, whereas I pay 70 centimes for one pound of rather inferior ones in Be r ne. 1 went to a Milanese popular restaurant, frequented by cWks and others who have not too much money to spend. Here I had a plate cf excellent vegetable soup, a dish of very good meat, with threo kinds of vegetables, toother with as much bread as I wanted, and finally a large 6lico ot mn.'oa. taken from-an iceeliest. wine, tho entire meal cost 85 Anouier uav 1 went to one of tho best restaurants in tho city, facing the Cathedial, where I had a quarter of a chicken, with excellent salad and bread, for 1.30 francs. In this case wine was not included, but half a bottle of white chianti served in ice cost CO centimes. Despite the almost daily reports in tho Austrian and Hungarian papers of Italy's poor harvest, 1 may say that the crops arc very good, and the harvest likely to be plentiful. The vintage also promises well. "Lombardy, indeed, has long been one of the most fertilo parts, not only of Italy, but of tho world, and during tho last few years its productivity has been greatly increased owing to the instruction given by travelling teachers of husbandry, who have induccd tho peasantry to discard their old-fashioned methods, and avail themselves of the discoveries of modern agricultural science.

Throe observations I made while in Italy. One is that tlio Italian nation is realising that a modern .war cannot bo left to the soldiers alone to fight; the entire nation must second them, if not by fighting, at any rato by working, eacli one doing what he or sho is best_ qualified to do. Again, controversies, religious and political, aro at rest, and newspapers endeavour to exploit the war for their own aggrandisement. ' Italy may be thankful that she iias nothing to correspond to the London Yellow Press, and had any newspaper or newspaper syndicate ventured to attack the Italian Minister of War, or the Italian Prime Minister, it would have been promptly dealt with in such a manner that it would ncvor have recommenced.

Afiain, the clerical party at tho Vatican, which has no 'country, and whose aim. has always been to set the Church above Fatherland, has for tho present lost its power. The General of the Jesuits, an Austrian subject, has had to take temporary refuge at Brigue, in Switzerland, with the permission of the Swiss Government, and although ho has issued a letter to the members of tho Socicty of Jesus from this place, he was wise enough to make no reference to the conflict between Austria and Italy. Tho clergy in Italy, indeed, are now placing their country before the Vatican, and tho Vatican knows it.

A third striking fact which forced itself upon my notice when in Italy rocentl.v is that in a number of cases country has come before even private affections, thousands of women. Italians by birth, but married tc Austjians or Germans, having chosen ta remain in Italy, instead of leaving when their husbands, were obliged to do so. In many instances they have resumed their Italian nationality. "What is still more remarkable is that many Austrian subjects living in the Trentino, Italian speaking, and of courso, Italian bv blood, escaped- to Italy, often at great personal risk, across the mountain, before. Italy's declaration and now are either fighting in the ranks of the Italian army, or, if incapable of bearing arms, working in ammunition factories.

In the Italy of to-day, in short, there is little sign of the romantic Italy of the tourist, the Italy where it is always afternoon, the Italy supposed to be perpetually either twanging a mandoline or lazily gliding in a gondola along a canal or lagoon. The Italy of today is a land of industry, activity, and determination. The spirit of Garibaldi is permeating the entire nation.