A LOYAL ALLY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 182, 22 April 1918, Page 4

A LOYAL ALLY

At an immediate view the transfer _of a considerable body of Italian troops to Franco represents a useful and timely reinforcement of the Allied armies which thus far have borne the brunt of the enemy's desperate efforts to force a decision. It is .still more welcome and noteworthy as an indication that the Allies arc making continued and rapid headway in tho policy of pooling their resources and unifying their efforts. Both in France and in tho United States opinion runs strongly in favour of the complete unification of war-direction and command. Britain also, as General Maurice observed the other day, has "plumped for a united front a.nd placed its forces under a supremo control." Today's announcement, considered in light of the fact that French and British troops are holding a section of the Italian line, implies that Italy has for practical purposes adopted the same point of view. No surprise would now bo occasioned by an announcement that she ha!s agreed that General Focii's' authority as Generalissimo shall extend to the Italian front. Tho arrival of Italian troops in Franco is in any caso another illustration of tho fact that tho Allies are working loyally together to forward their common interests And aims. It is an event all the-more to be welcomed, since the enemy raado tremendous efforts last year to overwhelm Italy by thu combined effect of an insidious propaganda an-:i a powerful military drive. No doubt he hoped that U she remained in the field this year Italy would do so as a weak and failing partner of tho Entente Powers. Italy had already given striking proofs that such hopes were illusory. Her latest action is an additional demonstration of that essential solidarity of the Allied nations—made possible by their common championship of a just and noble cause—which has become moro apparent at each now stage of tho war.

Considering that she- is faced by the threat of an imminent enemy offensive, Italy has acted boldly as well as in an admirable-- spirit of loyalty in detaching troops for service elsewhere than on her own battlefront, but there is little doubt that the course of events as the war continues will show that she is acting wisely from every point of view. It is to be considered _ in the first place that by methodical co-operation the Allies gain an actual addition to their effective fighting strength. It would probably bo quite erroneous to assume that *vcn in its material aspect the presence of an Italian army in France and of FrancoBritish forces in Italy represents a mere exchange of like for like. The practical conditions governing the exchange no doubt are that France and Britain aro better supplied than Italy with artillery, aircraft, and other items of material equipment, whilo Italy, though- she lost heavily last year in men as well as in material, still has proportionately greater reserves to draw upon. It was authoritatively stated some months ago that Italy had mobilised more than four million men for military service, and she is capable of adding considerably to that number, particularly if her Allies assist heron a liberal scale in providing technical equipment. This, no doubt, they are doing, and it is likely that even in the most immediate viewpoint the exchange of figlitinpforce -results in mutual benefit. . It is still more important that the transfer of Italian troops to France gives the Allies additional force in the theatre where they are m a position to use 'force with maximum effect. This is none the less true though the Allies arc fighting a_ defensivo battlo in France and Flanders and may persevere in that policy for many weeks to come It is as true now as it iias been at any stage of the war that the Allies better pla-ced on the Franco-British front to deal effectively with the enemy than in. any other theatre. In using up the enemy's reserves and creating the conditions which will enable them to launch a counter-offensive they arc at the same time narrowing whatever margin of strength the enemy has to work upon in undertaking an offensive against Italy It is possible that the Teutonic Aliianoc may be compelled to mass Austrian as well as German troops on the Franco-British front, and such a development would represent a definite gain to Italy individually as well as to the Allies in general Next to its moral value as a striking example of Allied unity, the transfer of Italian troops to France has valuo as tending to compel the enemy to restrict his offensive to the Franco-British front or, if ] le opens an offensive in Italy, to do so in diminished force and with correspondingly diminished hopes of advantage and success.