ITALY AND FIUME.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12757, 29 September 1919, Page 6

ITALY AND FIUME.

While the western portion of the Continent of Europe is gradually working back to pre-war conditions the eastern portion is still in the turmoil of civil war. Italy is threatened with trouble, over the Quixotic action of the flamboyant poet D’Annunzio and his few hundred followers, in seizing Piume without any opposition from the Italian troops in the vicinity. This action, we are told, has led other Italian adventurers to make a descent upon the eastern shores of the Adriatic, along that part which is known as Dalmatia. The news which has been received so far is lacking in details, but it would appear that an Italian force was driven from the' town of Troghir, which was taken over by American marines and subsequently left in the possession of South Slav troops. These acts of aggression have placed the Italian Government in a very awkward predicament. Public opinion has declared itself-in sympathy with them, but now that it has been learned that there is a means w'hereby Italy can be severely punished should it elect to officially refuse to call to account' the misguided adventurers, whose blatant egotism has been mistaken for. patriotism, the public feeling is growing considerably cooler. President Wilson, we are told, has threatened an economic blockade of

Italy unless the terms of the Peace' Treaty are adhered to with respect to Flume, and this threat, if carried into effect, would he simply disastrous to Italy, which is in such a desperate position industrially and commercially that were Allied aid withhold the consequences would be ruinous. The report that Britain and France are agreeable to Italy being allowed to remain in possession at Fiume, under certain conditions, may be correct, but if so it is surprising, seeing that the Orlando Government came to grief owing to its attempt to force the Peace Council to concede Fiume to Italy against the wish of a strong political section in Italy which took the view that possession of Fiume was much too great a price to pay for the loss of the financial and other support so much needed by Italy and ready to be advanced. In the meantime D’Annunzio and his band of irrcconcilables are still in Fiume. and the poet leader has announced that he intends to stay. The Italian Government is hoping that President "Wilson will be induced to give way, but Mr Wilson appears to be especially obstinate over this question of the future of Fiume, and so far shows no signs of changing his views.