AUSTRO-ITALIAN IMBROGLIO.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10106, 18 March 1911, Page 1

AUSTRO-ITALIAN IMBROGLIO.

Fear That Old Feud May Cause "War.

(Vienna Correspondent New Orleans

" Times-Democrat.")

Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Este, backed by the energetic Field-Marshal Krobatin (who probably will soon be Minister of War), is planning a re-or-ganisation of the Austro-Hungarian army. The service term will be shortened from three to two years; the annual recruit contingent will be raised to 195,000; and as a result the army's peace strength will count 330,000 instead of 309,000 men. The delegations have not yet voted the necessary money, but there is little doubt that they will. And behind these preparations come four Dreadnoughts, two already underway at the Trieste Stabilimento Tecnico, and the other two somewhat, a matter of mystery. These facts are signs and portents. Most portentous of all is the magnetic, aggressive figure of Foreign Minister Aehrenthal, who stands behind the preparations. And everywhere Austria -s drilling, mustering, shooting at targets, and dragging siege guns to the tops of toppling mountain peaks. It is a sudden resurrection of a once decadent State, a sudden return, to the height of power which Austria occupied in the mid nineteenth century when she humiliated Prussia at Olmutz. ONLY QUARREL WITH ITALY. Against whom are the martial preparations made? The answer is reached by a process of elimination. Not against Russia. Russia, in the view of the central European Powers, is crippled for two decades. Similarly Austria is not arming against Turkey, for Turkey, if not already in the Triple Alliance, is near it; and after the brief dispute over Bosnia it has become the settled policy of Austria and Germany to back Turkey up. With one European Power alone has Austria a solid and serious dispute. That Power is her ally, Italy. Statesmen put a pleasant face on the AustroItalian relations. The two peoples know better. There lies between them the source of unceasing irritation, the bone of | contention known as "Italia irredenta," that is, " unredeemed Italy," composed of the great Italian-speaking provinces which still obey, and obey with loathing and disgust, the sway "of the Gorman Hapsburgs. It is an old Quarrel, which runs throughout Europe's

history, the quarrel between Latin and Goth, between Guelph and Ghibelline, between the artistic romance races and the German "tedeschi" barbarians. And now it seems that the immemorial fight is to be renewed, and fought at last, perhaps, to a really decisive end. STATESMEN WANT NO WAR. Austrian and: Italian statesmen want no walV Both are driven to arm by historical forces which are infinitely stronger than their good intentions. To conceal this disagreeable fact they parade the touching comedy of AustroItalian love and affection as partners in the Triple Alliance. Thus Marquis di San Giuliano, Italy's Foreign Minister, last September called on Count A'ehrenthal at Salzburg, and was gushingly received by Kaiser Franz Joseph at Ischl. After a month's delay Count Aehrenthal went to Turin and returned the visit. After both meetings semiofficial statements affirmed that relations were cordial. At one time it was mildly admitted there had. been friction. Austria had thought of marching to Salonica, and Italy of seizing Albania. But'the regenerated Turkey of to-day has made those old aims impracticable, and Italy and Austria therefore have no further cause for quarrels. So say the diplomats. But while these reassuringstatements are flying around come the news of fresh Austrian armaments; of fresh quarrels on the frontier; and of fierce polemics between the Italian and Austrian Press. The cause of "Italia irredenta " proves to be tenfold stronger than any official explanations, and to-day everyone understands that Aus-tro-ltalian relations are worse than they have been since the struggle of 1860. WANT A GREATER ITALY. Italian patriots are not afraid to push their claim., They want a greater Italy. Their country s real frontier, they affirm, is the main chain of the Alps, marked by the St Gothard Pass in Switzerland and by the Brenner Pass in the Austrian Tyrol. The Brenner separates North from' South Tyrol, and as South Tyrol has a large German population, the Italian claim goes too far. But the part farthest from the Brenner is purely Italian, and even includes the two'old Venetian cities' of Tffe?it and Riva. ' , .' This, however., is the smaller- part of lta:ia irredenta. The more important part is the east Adriatic coast—including Austria's chief port, Trieste -—Styria, the Hungarian coast of Croatia with Fiume, and all Dalmatia as far as Albania. On Albania Italy has no racial claim, but until lately she had "interests," that is, ambitions, there, which during the last two years the energetic Young Turks have made short work of. The east Adriatic population is mainly Slav, and,not Italian. But I-fc&liana run the towns and people the coast; they represent the only civilisation that exists; and that is the basis of Italy's claim. VIGOROUS PREPARATIONS. As preparations for war Italy is vigorously propagandising in the Irredenta provinces. She does this through the "Society of Dante Alighieri,"-a tremendously powerful organisation which works hand in hand with the Austro -Italian '"' Lega. Nazionale Italiana." Both societies combat AustroGerman influences, and, indeed, preach an anti-German crusade. The choice of Dante's name for- such'a purpose, of course, makes the historian • stare, for Dante was a steadfast Ghibelline and a supporter of the power of the German -KaiserS'in Italy; and,.indeed, in his "Purgatorio" he depicts the city of Rome as weeping for these Kaisers.

I have just returned from a prolonged tour of the frontier between the Lake of Garda and Montaggio. Part of the frontier runs through the fantastic and magnificent Dolomite Mountains and" past the overpowering, roseflushed i>eaks of Cadcre. I found war everywhere iii the air. The severest regulations are taken with regard to foreigners near the fortifications, and fresh fortifications are being made wherever the roads are not already sufficiently guarded. Even where as. at Misurina a tiny tongue of Italian territory i? wedged into Austria, Austria has built a. new fort.' On one side of the frontier Austrian "Jaeger" soldiery on the other side Italian " Bersaglieri" practice night and day amid the limestone peaks. Tlio frontier around Lake Garda is badly marked. Night practices go on unceasingly, with the result that the soldiers of the two Powers continually trespass over the frontiers, and arrests and even fights take place every day. The local newspapers keep up a parallel war of recrimination. Lately the two governments took steps to put an end to these troubles, but the racial enmity is much too intense to be suppressed by official instruction. THE "RIVAL FORCES. "Whether Italy can fight Austria is doubtful. The combatants will be single-handed, for Germany is under obligations to help Austria only in case of an attack from the Russian side. Austria's army is somewhat larger than Italy's. When fully " bilised, she can put into the field 900,000 men, excellently trained; and 1,430,000 Landwher, Landstrum and supplementary reserves. The latter two forces are mostly available, only for defence against an invader. .Italy's fully mobilised force runs to 780,000 men; with a second line of defence about as strong as Austria's. On paper the Italian fleet is the stronger. Both States are improving their fortifications . around Riva on the Lake of Garda, and new regulations against or even using field glasses are posted everywhere. Experts cast doubt on the efficiency of Italy's armed forces; with many, Austrian superiority is a dogma, inherited from the ignominious Italian defeats by Austria on land and at Custozza and Lissa. Italy's one great asset is her homogeneous population; but she can a!so < count on help from the Austrian Italians; and there is always a chance that race dissension might make military successes by Austria fruitless. The war for Italy w none the lees a risky gamble, which may lead to disaster. That will not prevent the war breaking out. . That at least is Vienna's belief; and that is why the Vienna Cabinet wants to arm, regardless of expense. The only question is when the struggle will come. That depends upon Italy. Austria's interest is to delay; to complete her Dreadnoughts and to strengthen her army. Italy's interest is rather to hasten the issue. That being so, no man can say that a frontier dispute or some question of the treatment of Italians in Austria will not soon drive the Government of Rome'to make tho perilous plunge.