The tendency of certain newspapers to accuse Italy of preparing for war in the Mediterranean is ridiculed by the "Evening Standard,"
vhich expresses confidence in Bri-tai powers of retaliation, "It Italy were to attack the British navy she would do so with the full knowledge of its inevitable consequences as she would realize that Great Britain would exact a terrible revenge. Also, before making an attack on Britain, Italy would concentrate her naval forces to meet a counter-attack, but Italy has not concentrated her navy nor is there the slightest reason io suppose she has in her mind a course so reckless and futile as a Mediter course of action already enjoined on the British Mediterranean Fleet, of a prompt counter-attack. " Counterattacking the perpetrators of these piratical attacks is clearly the only method of discouraging their repetition by whatever is the identity of these pirates, and there is no' other method open to the British Government in affording protection to men-of-war and merchant ships in the Mediterranean than to strengthen its forces in that' sea."—Havas.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.