The Italy of the present day is a very different one from what it w then. At that time, it had barely the semblance as it certainly had not the actuality of cohesion. At that time, too, Italy's interests solely Iny'in the Peninsula itself, her a fact which is of vital importance to the international situation.
Erithrea had not been annexed there was no occupation of Somal land, there was no conquest of Tripoli, no tenure of the Aegean Islands, and no general idea that the future of Italian expansion, apart from the North African Em: vire, lay in Ania Minor. All this development of the Italian Colonial Empire has taken place in the last sixty years, and herein is to be sought the factor which quite apart from the traditional campaign on behalf of Italia Irredenta must have paramount influence in deciding Italian policy. By this time Italy has come to the decision which was bound sooner or later to be arrived at that her position as an African colonizing power was closely bound up with the limitation of the operations of the Turkish Empire and with the maintenance of Great Britain as a paramount power in the Suez Canal. In other words, Italy has by the force of circumstances Yet, after all, the policy of the consoli ion of Italian interests in Europe is the primary one on which the majority of Italians have set their hearts. It is the ity with Austria and which has led to more diplomatic subterfuges than the peace of Europe could ever be hoped to support, the last and most glaring being the artificial creation of Albania. It is a curiosity that no one has ever exactly defined what are the claims of Italia Irredenta campaigners. They certain ly include the entire recovery of the Trentino, the strip of country which runs north from Trent, up the Valley of the Adige, as far as the foot of the Brenner Pass. Trieste and Polo with the country immediately to the rear of these seaports are also regarded as Italian, but, taken on the basis of population, is very doubtful if the Italianiza. tion of Dalmatia could be legitimarely admitted to be a racial necessity. Probably no Power, apart from those immediately concerned, can ever hope to mould the futare of these hybrid dependencies. The matter must be decided between the two immediately concerned, Austria and Italy, An Opportunity to Round off Italy.
The sole factor in influencing Italian policy at the present time, is the appreciation of the unequalled opportunity of rounding off European Italy. Nothing is to be gained elsewhere, save a sphere of influence in the Adalia district of Asia Minor. Any campaign would therefore be at the expense of Aus-trio on the one hand and of that of Turkey on the other. The apparent leisureliness of Italy in making up mind with respect to peace or gible. The country not wealthy; it has been greatly affected from financial standpoint by the progress of the international struggle; it has suffered from natur al catastrophes and it is linked with Central Europe in close commercial relation. No nation desires a war if it can get it it wants without fighting, but it is idle to ass that Austria is prepared to yield anything, save under compulsion. On the contrary, the private and insulting letters sent by the Aus-trial Royal Family to the Italian Court show that its abstention from any support of the Triple Alliance will be used to its detriment after the war if Germany id Austria Prove successful. Inactivity to the very last, therefore, is bound to Prove prejudicial to' Italian nation: al interests.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.