New-York tribune., 1896-02-04
I7tlrS AFRIciY VENTURE.

Italy * In a bad plight Of that there Is no
manner Of doubt. Her colonial schemes are
nroylng much harder 10 execute than she m1g
lnel Her attempt to subdue Abyssinia. or to
enforce a protectorate over II. has thus far dis
astrously failed Her army has been Defeated
her expedition to Tigre. not 10 mention Amhara,
has been turned back In something Ike ro'lt
Her garrisonS have been glad 10 he permltted
70 cvacultc their forts ami lcc toward the coast
Instead ~ conqucring Tigrc. Amhari and Shoa
She * now chiefly concerned with holding on 10
Eryrhrcl Itself No wonder IA strong party az
Rome Is openly protesting against the further
prosrcurlou ~ - fruiless an enterprise. For
~ all the Great Powers Of Europe. Italy most
needs 70 husband her strength and means. Tn
der the wise direction Of Baron SonnIno her
finances have N last been brought into Il rea-
sonnliv wholesome state. But she Is as>urclly
IN no condition 10 prosecute II long and costly
forci..n war. from which at best no substantial
profit can bee expected.
To withdraw from Africa would however. be
no less disastrous than to persevere in her un-
dcrtakings there. A vast amount OF capital has
heon invested at Ma>sowah and elsewhere in
the Red sea llttoral To abandon that region
would bc To lose II all. and not merely that, but
To- lose II TO rival and hostile Power. For II
IS perfectly well known that the moment Italy
steps out Russia will step In. There has long
been an understanding to that effect between
Russia and Abysslnla. The relations between
the two are intimate. Russian agents have en-
couragcd the King Of Shoa. who calls himself
Negus but is not, to resist Italian aggression
to the utmost and have evcn II Is said. assisted
in the organization Of The Abyssinlan army. 1t
is the knowledge of this that makes Italy so
determined 10 persist in her African campaign.
She knows also. that To withdraw now. confess
herself beaten by King Mcncck and his RaScs,
and let Russia proclaim protectorate over
Abyssna would be Il fatal blow 10 her own
prestige as European Power. II would ex-
nose her To the ccnsure and contempt Of her part
ncrs I'm the TRIBE Alliance. For what would
her aid be worth to them IL she We're unable
TO cope with the uncivilized hordcs Of Abyssinia,
and II she had to surrender her holdings and pre-
tensions there to the chief foe Of the Alliance
Therefore, as we have said, Italy Is In serl-
ous predlcament Either horn Of the dilemma
which confronts her Is n difficult one to deal
with. Either will impose upon her a burden
which she Is III fitted to bear. There Is little
doubt as to which she will choose Despite the
remonstrances OF the Opposition, she will 60 on
with her Abyssnan campaign. In the end,
doubtless, she will win 1t Is idle to suppose
that all the tribes Menelck can put into the field
can resist the armies which Italy can send
thither But II will be an enormously expensive
Job. and will probably throw italian finances
into chaos again and renew popular discomfort
against system which means to the public
little but intolcrablc taxation. Such however,
are the penalties nation must inevitably pay
for domestic mlitarism and eXtravngant
schemes Of foreign conquest Italy has chosen
her course, and she must bear the consequences.