The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-08
ROME NOT TO BE SOLD.
AN INJUSTICE TO ITALIAN PATRIOTISM.

AN INJUSTICE TO ITALIAN PAThIOTlSM.
The Examiner of Sunday, in the first column
of its first page, reproduces cablegram from
London, signed by the well-known Press cor
respondent, Ballard Smith.
According to that cablegram several rich
Catholics of Spain, France, Austria and Eng
land will form a syndicate to purchase from
Italy lis capital, the city OF Rome, those
philanthropists OF novel type believing that
such bargain is possible, as the present fnan-
cial condition of Italy threatens TO lead the
nation into bankruptcy, thus menac1ng the
peace of Europe, as the people, overburdened
with taxes. will naturally throw the country
into anarchism.
If the character of the newspaper reproducing
such news was not enough serious as to exclude
all doubts of its authen ITCHY, we would con-
slider that cablegram as canard OF the worst
kind.
The bankruptcy of Italy is an abominable
falsehood that does not deserve REPUTATION.
Two years ago the financial condition OF the
nation was bad indeed, but the s1tua-
TO-DAY hfs its bondg s1e 4ery little be
low par the discount not being higher than 1t
is in Austria, and much lower than in Spain.
On the bourse of France the Italian oonsoli-
dated per cents are selling to-day at 80 to 81,
while the Spanish bonds, per cent, are down
to 81 or SO. Before talking of buying Rome
the Spanish grandees will do well TO chase the
wolf out of their own home
We do not deny that our country Is overbur-
dened with all sort of taxatons, but the
Italian people accept and support the situation
with patriotic firmness, knowing that such
enormous sacrifices are needed to guard and
defend the country from the rapac1ty OF its
neigh bors.
If Italy profuses and wastes its resources in
maintaining large army and navy 1t is be-
cause other powers restless and aggressive in
their unbounded ambition, have forced her to
enter and to stay in the Triple Alliance. We
allude to the Franco-Russlan much-talked-of
alliance.
The comic part of the cablegram is, how
ever, the supposed purchase OF the italian
capital. In our peninsula such news will be
ridiculed by everybody, but in foreign lands
many will believe it and swallow it.
Well it is to them that we direct these few
words, fully convinced OF interpreting in the
matter the sentiment of the Italians at home
and abroad. Should our country be on the
verge of its ruin, not stone OF Rome not an
inch of the Italian soil would be sold; not
even the most modest of the thousands and
thousands of art treasures with which our
glorious capital is endowed cannot be taken
away at any price.
The Vatican itself, while it is occupied by the
Pope and his court, has been declared ma
tional monument and as such it is the property
of the Italian people. This many foreigners
do not know, not even Mr.. Ballard Smith and
those who have published the famous cable
gram commissioning the precarious condition
of Italy, as did, for instance, the Franco-Cali-
fornien of this City.
To burst this soap-bubble suffice to say that
the Italian Parliament has lately adopted
act making the Goth of September, the date in
which Rome became the natural capital of the
Italian kingdom a national holiday. San
Francisco LItalia.