The record-union., 1897-03-31
TO THE SHAME OF ITALY.

The New York Evening Post" says
with emphasis and sorrow that one of
the most painful things in the Cretan
incident is the prominent part taken by
Italy in warming Greece and the Gre
tans, in blockading Cretan ports and in
firing upon Cretans. Worse yet is the
advice of Italy to the islanders to
submit still further years to the tyr
amy of the Turk. The Post says:
This role sits with an i'll grace on all
the Powers, but on none so awkwardly
as on Italy. If there were such thing
as consistency in politics, Admiral Ca
nevaro would have been all along re-
monstrating with Russia and Germany
and encoura ging the Greeks to perse
we're, for Italy knows, as no other ma
tion concerned knows, the road on
which Crete is travelling, and has been
travelling for two centuries. 1t is no
more criminal or ipexpedient for Greece
to desire the union of all the Greek
speaking islands under one Govern
ment of their own, than for Italy to de-
sire the union of Naples and Tuscany,
and Parma and Modena, and Lombardy
and Venice with Piedmont. Crete has
for centuries being subjected to even
more paltry and cruel despotism than
Italy has known, without loss of re-
hgion or language, or love of indie
pendence. Italy has not suffered one
quarter as much from her tyrants as
Greece, for both Austrians and Span
iards We're at least Christians and civ
iiized men. The King OF. Naples, the
King Bomba" of history, savage as he
was, was an angel of light compared to
the Sultan. The Italian traditions on
which these oppressors trampled so
ruthlessly We're not more glorious than
those Of Greece.
All this is true. Italy of all nations
of earth ought to be in accord with the
insurgents of Crete and the patriots of
Greece. That she is not is confession
that Italy is in what amounts to the
abject slavery of fear of the greater
Powers of Europe. Men in plenty are
living to-day who remember when the
dream of United Italy was scoffed at
and reviled, and the idea Of the Ital
ian States coming together in unity,
strength and a common purpose was
laughed at. Even some of the great
patriots of Italy lost faith and gave
over hope. For instance, D'Azeglio, as
hate as 1853, gave up the idea of per-
feet unity and consented to a plan of
federal union, with the Pope of Rome
at its head
Men are still living who remember
how Victor Emanuel, as was his ia
ther, Albert, was denounced, vhhfied,
warmed threatened and cursed just as
is the King of Greece to-day. They
Were told that they We're foolish lacked
good sense, We're selfshly ambitious,
Were filing their pockets. and all that.
But they were steadfast in patriotic
purpose and never faltered in their eff
forts. The result all the world knows,
and how beneficial it has been for 1t
ally. To the heroic Garibaldi and his
regiments a rescued Italy bowed in
thanks for liberty, just as Crete will,
let US hope, do honor to THE gallant
Colonel Vassos battling against un-
equal numbers in the devoted isle. That
Italy of all nations under the sun should
be doing the will of the unspeakable
Turk against the devoted Cretans is
enough to make one lose faith in hu-
maTsity. The Post" reviewing Ital-
tan history. says:
One would think that, considering all
this, the efforts of a kindred race which
shares with Italians the great tr,adi-
tions of the ancient world and has
had in the modern world an expert
ence tenfotd more bitter, to do exactly
what the Italians have done. would
meet from the Italians sympathy and
encouragement, not threats, warnings,
rebukes, oannonades and blockades,
under the direction, of all persons in
the world, of the Italian Admiral There
is no reason, historical. religious, lin
guistic or geographical, why Crete
should not belong to Greece, any more
than why Sicily should not belong to
Italy The share OF Italy in this CON
cert" business can reflect nothing on
her but dfscredit. There is much rea-
son for believing that the concert has