"ITALY IS POOR."

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14711, 17 September 1918, Page 7

"ITALY IS POOR."

HOW THIS COMES ABOUT,

THE INFLUENCE OF . ENEMY

SYMPATHISERS.

An interesting account of the cause and effect of war m Italy is given by Mr Raoul Bigazzi, who is at present m Wellington. "In the first place," said "M_ Bigazzi, "Italy has no money — no money at all. She is not an industrial country iit the sense that your people understand it> It is only m tho last 25 years that northern Italy has become industrial ; and the south has not started yet. They are veiy different people, you see, the northerner* and the southerners. The northerners are quick and practical* the people of the south are dreamy. "But even m the north the industries are not flourishing now: That is because they were nearly all financed and managed by Germans. When Italy joined the war these principals were interned or left tho country, and . there was nb management and' no money to carry on the works. The workers who are not m the army or employed m munition factories are having a hard time to-day. "Another reason why Italy -has no money is the Turkish waar-of 1911. That was' a costly war, and there was no chance for any benefit to be felt before the big war came to Europe m 1914. -. "I havo heard it freely said during my travels, that Italy should have joined the Allies at the outset. Other people have suggested that tlie reason was that Italy was not ready. But Italy was not ready when she did declare war on the Central Powers. No; that was not the reason that Italy did not follow her heart's wish m the beginning. Tlie reason was ' pro-German influence m the Cabinet. Giolitti was Premier at the time. He was friendly towards the Austrians and Ger mans. Not only did he prevent Italy from joining m, but he also prevented her from getting readyto do so later on. It was D'Aimunzio the writer and orator, who opened the eyes of the Italian people as to where their duty lay. The result was tlie fall of Giolitti's . party, and .Soni.no. became Premier. Then Italy declared war, though she was less prepared than any o£ the Allied Powers were when they stepped into the arena. But the Italians' hearts were happy to be standing shoulder to shoulder with the British, her friends of old. :=.•■:•

"Of the war organisations; one that was th© least ready m Tthe financial sense, was the Italian Red Cross. It was a very old and able organisation, and very fashionable,, and "it yhas done good l work m times of peace: ' Italy has suffered much from earthquake, volcanic eruptions, and floods, and the Red Cross has always been to the fore m giving aid. The organisation was the hands of the nobles, many of whom" are friends of the Church, which is friendly with Austria. So, while there was always plenty of money for peace work, no funds for use m war time were accumu lated- It, was understood that Italy would never go to war with Austria. And the Red Cross, as a fashionable means of dispensing philanthropy to the poor and suiiering, was a sort of social gaol; to bolong to it was to bear the hall-mark. .Every year there was a Red Cross day, when a gay gathering was held, and collections taken m the streets just as it Avas m England and other English places.

"The war has changed all 'that.- Now tho Italian Red Cross is a. very widereaching, busy. organisation.- It has hospitals everywhere. Italy, as you know, was a tourist resort before the Avar. The large hotels were managed and owned by Germans or Russians. All these places have been made into Red Cross hospitals for the wounded soldiers "who have survived the rough and tedious journeys over the mountains, where ouly the crudest hospital arrangements can be made. Oh, yes, the wounded Italian soldier lias a rough passage to the base hospitals. It is unavoidable that these should be many miles— 4o or 'more — from the filing line.

"To get supplies is the present problem of the Italian Red Cross. Everybody gives what he or she can.. But our people are poor and our coins are so small. Consider: it takes 100 centimes to mako one lire. Bef ore the war 25 lire made one pound — the English sovereign. But to-day it requires 40 lire to mako one pound. So, when each poor person gives one centime— all' they can alford — it wouldl require such donations to make one pound.

'Ah, yes, . all supplies of every kind are difficult to obtain m Italy, and' they aro deai-, every thing! You see, there is no trade Avitli Austria, none Avith Switzerland, veiy, little with France, for she has- very little food to spare. Crossing tlie seas from- other parts,. means the use of sliips, and the ships are as precious m Itally as ■ anyAvhere. England has helped Italy Avitli money 1 and foodstuffs — England and America. Theso countries have been very good to Italy ; tlieir goodness has heartened our people up more than you can imagine. It is a help to what is called tho morale — you ..call it so also? Yes, that is it — to think that friends afar off are thoughtful, is very comforting."