, 1888-11-17

its clear cut features is relaxed by d peCul-
iarly pleasant and winning smile. | had
not exchanged half a dozen sentences with
him ere | recognised in him a man TO
whom waste of time and verbal banalitiPS
were aSSuredly little less than intolerahle.
Having briefly bartered a few items
Of ~"lattst intelligence" concerning
one or two common friends in our TeSpec-
tive native lands, we turned Simultaneous
" to the "questiouS du jour- relative 70
which the President ofthe Council appeared
as ready to pronounce his opinions as |
was DESTROYS to near them. ''Let me beg
you TO understand clearly he began, "that
what ItaIy wutS $ what |. want ; aud that
is, peace- trer, twice, and thrice, peace.
Whatever ra.E may say IN France, Whit
ever our e~nralies ia the foreign Press may
write about the Government Of which /
am the head, and about myself, the one
strenuous and luceSSant effort of Italy has
been for many mouths past, and actually
is at the present WOment, TO avert every
European complication tb9t may lead -
war, or even TO e>jrdngtment between any
OF the leading Continental Powers. Th!S
We consider our chief task, and we have
addressed ourselves to it's fuIflment in
perfect accord with the Governments of
Germany and Austria Hungary, which are
auimared by peaceful resolves Identical
with our own. Our understanding with
them is undltered, and-L hope and be-
lieVe-unalterable. With your Govern
ment, too, our relations are all that we
could wish we are pursuing, hand in
hand with England, a policy having for
its main object the preservation of univer-
sal peace and the maintenance Of amity
and goodwill among civiliSed peoples.
''Throughout the differences that have
acc prd during the past summer between
Italy and France, and to which perhaps
too much Importance has been attached by
the Press Of other countries, | can con-
ScitntiOuSiy sly that | have observed a
temperate tone and correct attliude, tree
from anything approaching provocative
ness. If any eXagGtralIou OF susceptible
ity has made itself manifest i'll the course
Of these discussions. it has NOT been dis
PLAYED hy us. With respect 10 the QueS-
tons that have arisen between the two
G0vcrnmentS-tor instance, that Of MassO.
Wah, that of The schools in TuuiS, and
otherS-we have found it difficult to con-
vince ourselves chat France has not sedu-
lousy en%dpavOured to check and even to
humiIiate Italy. Every nation, great or
small, is bound to vindicate its independ-
pnce and keep up its Self-reSpeCt, as well
AZ 10 make lCStII respected ON us u6lEU-
bourS. In this country no Government
could hope for national support if it should
tail to fulfil so primary a duty. Must we
accept Sights and uncalled-for rehukes
with eqranimity, and even smilingIyW
Jiguor Jrispi repeated this question
more than once, and very emplatically y
"I0u mas s,- that such undignlibd tame
mss on oar part is impossible.
IL die No. create the MaSsOwah enter-
prise, | touuu it made ready to hand when
/ took office. Whether or not | should
have advised the nation to undertake it is
not now to the purpose. 1t is an accom-
plished fact, and We must make the best
Of it. Ii England had taken it in hand,
instead of Italy, who would have had a
word to say In any case, Itaiy's legiti-
mate interests and justiiable aspiration
must receive due consideration from the
nations with which she stands on a footing
of international equality. To that rule
there can be no exception. Throughout
this country the visit to Rome of the Ger
man Emperor is hailed with joy by the
whole Italian people not only as a fat
tering compliment to our chivalric SOve-
reign, but as a pledge of the confirmation
and strengthening Of Ltaly'S alliance with
the great central European military Pow
wers, ana as a solid and conclusive qua.
rantee of peace. While the noble Ger
man Monarch and people are our firm