The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1916. CLOSER UNION.

Southland Times, Issue 17659, 17 February 1916, Page 4

The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1916. CLOSER UNION.

Italy may now be described as a full member of the Quadruple Alliance. She was in the Alliance before, and was fighting with enthusiasm with Britain, France and Russia. It is fair to conclude, however, from the results obtained from the recent visit of Entente statesmen to Italy, that Italy had not fallen in with the theory of joint control and joint action. Long ago Prance, Britain and Russia saw the necessity for co-ordinated action on the eastern and western fronts. It was plain that everything was to be gained by considering both fronts together in deciding upon a strategic plan. Full use could not be made of ,the. Allies’ armies if the commanders in the west decided upon their plans without reference to the position in the east, or if the Russian commanders limited their view to their own theatre. What was necessary was that the idea of two separate theatres and two separate campaigns should be got rid of, and that some means should be found to adjust every movement in tbe east to a corresponding movement in the west, to use the forces in one theatre to relieve the necessities of the forces in the other, and to improve the opportunities in either field by supplying well-timed pressure in the other. This co-ordination of strategy was successfully brought about, and now any movement decided upon in, one theatre depends largely upon wdiat is being done in the others, and when it is decided upon it is understood, approved and assisted by all the commanders in the field. Until recently, however, Italy was not included in this strategic union. She was fighting a campaign of her o\Vu on an isolated front, and apparently the Italian operations did net greatly concern the rest of the Allies. While the four great Powers had pooled their resources and agreed to stand

together to the last, Italy was still to some extent apart in political and

military matters. The position is now changed. Italy gives up playing a lone hand. The Italian front becomes part of the Allies’ general front controlled by one general staff, and France has arrived at a complete alliance with Italy which brings Italy into the fold on a definite footing and makes an end of the celebrated Triple Alliance between Germany, Italy and Austria.. That Alliance was engineered by Germany on the Jsasis of distrust of France. Italy was taught to believe that her influence in the Mediterranean was threatened by the development of the French colonial empire on the Mediterranean coast of Africa. She was so worked upon that eventually she was brought into close political union not only with Germany, but with her ancient enemy Austria, and so successful was German diplomacy, backed by the mailed, fist, that this unnatural alliance lasted for over thirty years. Of course, there is no necessary conflict between French and Italian interests in the Mediterranean; on the other hand Austrian and Italian interests are absolutely irreconcilable. Italy has found her true place at last in her alliance with Prance, and the German schemes, to assist which the Triple Alliance was promoted, are brought to nought. The completion of military and political union with Italy drives another ua:> into the coffin of the peace which Germany hopes to obtain. The Allies are now indissolubly bound together, and just as they are in complete accord as to the material objects and the ideals for which they are fighting, so they are working together on a common plan and under common direction to win success. The position of the Allies is, steadily becoming mere solid, compact and impregnable.