THE POSITION OF ITALY

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 25 May 1915, Page 7

THE POSITION OF ITALY

GERMANY'S DISHONESTY

A small book was issued in February by a distinguished Englishman living at Palermo—Mr J. I. S. Whitaker, whose influence in Sicily is great (his wife, Tina Whitaker, is the daughter of a great Sicilian patriot), and has clearly placed the events leading up to the war before the Italian public. Mr Whitaker passes in review the position of Italy in the Triple Alliance, leaving it open whether the advantages that may have come from it have been' as much for Italy's benefit as for the benefit of har Allies. The Alliance, though it may have guaranteed the internal security of Italy against a possible quarrel' with Prance 30 years ago, has more recently constrained Italy to stifle her feelings and abandon lier aspirations with regard to her unredeemed territory! under Austrian control—a matter not merely of national sentiment, but of, strategic importance. It has also! forced her., to passivity in the Adriaticj Austria has become a powerful and formidable rival to her on that sea. More recently still, German intrigues in Turkey" were actively disloyal to her ally at the time of the Tripolitan war: "The assurances of moral support,"—we quote the translation of Mr Whitaker's pamphlet—j 1 'given to Turkey by Germany and Austria at this time incited that country to vigorous action, and undoubtedly greatly enhanced the difficulties of Italy during that campaign. It may foe mentioned that shortly after the ibeg:.nmn;r of the Tripolitan war it was freely whispered in London that Germany had actually been negotiating a loan in Constantinople, in return for' Avh:eh she was to receive important concessions in Tripolitana, which ivould have clashed with Italian interests m that country and minimised the value of its acquisition. It was also said that England, having heard of this, at once informed Italy of the report." Italy may well have asked herself n that was backing of one's friends, but the two German Powers soon showed that their conception of sin alliance was to get something for less than, nothing from her ally. Germany played the dishonest part' of ing behind the back of her friend *at Constantinople. Yet Austria actually asked for Italy's help a year or two later when she first contemplated her attack on Serbia! From that "ago-res-sive action Italy stood aloof, aVshe i;as from the later aggression that has .given over Europe to war; and neither <>i her alhes has ventured to protest against the justice of her inaction Ihe ease has gone by default. Whether Italy moves or not in this present war, the position of Italy will not be as Or was. The Triple Alliance pay or may not have served its turn in the 30 odd years it has been in force, but as an eifective diplomatic instrument it is dead. It has broken m the hands of the very statesmen who relied on it to drag Italy into a -Quarrel not her own. The temporary defensive union of the three Powers of Central Europe has broken nn because two of those Powers abandoned the ■original defensive purpose of the union tor offensive. Italy of the •future can have little share in the deliberations or decisions of Germany or Austria. The oldest.Latic State has taken the decisive step of dissociating herself at the vital moment from the two Teutonic Powers. Italy is once again a, free country. Her freedom is an asset which has not, we think, been bought at the price of insecurity. From Franco all clanger of attack—such as it was after the Tunis episode, 'has passed From Austria—broken, bankrupt, and ■disheartened—there is no danger for Italy. From Germany there is perhaps some menace for'the future but 3taly is fully alive to that danger.