MIGRANT ITALIANS

NZ Truth, Issue 1043, 21 November 1925, Page 1

MIGRANT ITALIANS

Economic Penetration of France (From "Truth's" London Rep.) Politically, France and Italy are old rivals whose jealousy, notwithstanding the Great War Al- ' Nance, has never died. ' Politically, France's dislike of Italy can only be subdued by France!s greater dislike of a not totally disarmed Germany. / ' But, ; economically, a peaceful penetration of France by Italians is going on; and its- political consequences aiuj hard to predict. : ;.'■'.•■ A little paragraph tucked away, at the end of the Letter of the Paris correspondence of the "Observer"' is big with portent. It ;records k quite ■ simply the fact that the dwindling population of France, especially m the South West, is causing whole stretches' of derelict, land to be acquired, and colonised 'by the more prolific Italians.' And not only is this the* case ' m France with regard to agriculture, 'but even m industrial concerns the Italian is introducing; himself m ever increasing numbers to make up the 'deficiency of French labor. . ; • - v • • - • The next step— -one that has already been talked of— will be to- transfer French factories to the place where •the labor exists m more obtainable quantities; '■ •■ i : '-' : \. ■ . It is reported that a group of textile rhahufacturers are talking of transferring their plant to Milan arid joining hands with an Italian industrial group.