The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-01-06
mars POVERTY AND AN BITIONS.
Making a Brave Show in the Far East. but at .
Cost Be,ond Her Means.

RoNF. Dec. 81. II is announced by the
VI uisteral journals with brave display %
headlines and capitals that italy i firmly
resolved, come what may. 20 maintain intact
her military and naval strength in the Far Fast,
that the Italian squadron has in Fact ALREADY
gone into winter quarters at Nimrod Bay and
that the Italian troops, what few Their" are ~
them. are >nugly installed mud prepared TO
face the -ternest winter that china can pro-
vide for tine discomfort 81 the hated foreign
devils. Italy Is In truth making almost
pathetic efforts 20 demonstrate that she il, a
great Power abroad u WEI ~ NJ home, pre-
para! 10 bear her part In the vindicatlon Of
outraged civilization and in the vtndlcation
Of her interests. The pathos Of the situation
lies IN the fact that ltaly is by far the poorest
Of tho Powers and has Ia pay ready money
for these Injuries. has 20 pinch herself at
home in order t. make a show abroad So
far she has obtained no substantial reward
which she can show TO her roverty-s'ricsen
people by way Of Justification for the sacrifices
which they have been called upon to make
nina long ago took the measure Of Italy
90 an inch. Hence. when in The DAYS Of In
ternarioual grab which preceded the crisis
which was always Inevitable. but which was
preci pitaied by the Boxer rising. Italy mod
e,'lv asked for a lease u san Nun BAY she
met VAIN n febuH NnlcH was hs uneNI'"'l''.
as il was complete. She b~lustered and
threatened quito in the orthodox fashion
She REINFORCED her feet in Far Eastern waters
until IL became quite respectable in strength.
and she sent an ul,imatim TO the sm.liHS
ung.l -Yamen at Pckin. But II was MI -
NJ purpose and ere Ions great bloody events
came TO pass which overEhadowed poor
Italy'- AMBITION. and nobody nov even whlS-
pcra the name OF San Nun over which the
Italian flag wns 70 have waved within a 81 Ell
fed period long since passed
Al these things cost money, which Italy
least III all the Powers can AFFORD 10 spend
During The past six months Italy has spent
in this proftless Far Eastern business the
sum. enormous for her. Of 100000 lire
and ~till she has not touched bottom 4
supplementary budget Just prepared at the
Ministry II Finance. contains items Of naval
and military expenditure ia china aggre-
eating 10000. 900 more, and simultaneousiy
politicians and hnauciers arc crying aloud
that Italy has reached the limit NJ fiscal bur
dcns Ry the obligations Of her partnership
I'm the Triple Alliance. Italy has 10 MAINTAIN
an army far In excess OF her proportlonate
population and wealth. and her understanding
with En- gland in the Mediterranean n"Ces-
sit ate. the keeping Of a navy altogether
beyond her means The Italian people have
long groaned beneath the weigh Of thes"
obligations, vet each year adds 10 them and
the huge expenditure IN China has fallen
upon the mass OF the population with crush
Ing effect To-day we are told that ?o,ooo,ooo
lire must be spent within the next two
years upon the reorganization o. the artil-
lerv. mainly in the direction Of quick-hring
guns. and that the Minister Of Marine has
declared that the navy requires III" same
reform. a. otherwise II will be reduced to
impotence Where Is all this money To come
from Another loan is sald to be out Of
the question and the Minister of Finance
and the Minister of the Treasury agre" tina,
there are no now source, Of revenue readily
.,.u.Lla