New-York tribune., 1902-10-01
TIE PROGRESS OF IrALY.


Metternieh's geographical expression" which
would never be anything else has become
great power. That is one of the most impress
sive facts in national and international affairs
Of which the present generation has been wit
ness Men who are not yet old remember when
Italy was indeed only a geographical express
sion, standing for a jarTing group of seven
minor States largely under alien control Men
still young remember when Italy was a king
dom without capital. MANNED and impOtent
The schOOlbOy OF to-day remembers when
United Italy seemed on the verge OF bankruptcy
and dissOlutiOn-seemed. say, not was; for
at the worst the margin Of reserve strength was
probably ample 10 avert an actual catastrophe
To-day the Kingdom OF Italy is politically stable
financially solvent and ndustrially prosperous
OF these circumstances. which are peculiarly
agreeable 10 Americans. we are reminded by
Dr. Tosti. the accomplished Italian Vice-COnsul
la New-YOrk, in his recent article in The Amer
lean Journal of Sociology" He points out that
in finance, the very department of her affairs
in which she has excited most anxiety, Italy is
now In what we might call her fourth era The
first was that early one Of struggle against in
herited Ills, From 1861 10 1876 Italy bore the
burdens Of debt. ignorance and undevelOped in
dustries which had been left 70 her BY the seven
IL.
began in 1876. when for the first time there was
balance on the right side OF the budget
TheneefOrward 10 1885, with a surplus each
year, there was vast expansion OF public works.
roads. railroads. bridges. docks. schools and
what not II may be that expansion was too
rapid, or that there was too great extrava-
ganee. At any rate. in 1885 the third period
beGan-a time OF deficits and distress. lasting
until 1897. II was THEN that the gravest ap-
prehensiOns arose concerning Italy's stability
Happily, those fears were grOundless In 1897
the tide turned. and has ever since been flow
ing strongly toward prosperity. In lS9T-gs the
Budget showed surplus OF more than 81 500
Goa In lS9S99 Of more than S6.5OOOO0 I'm
lS9g-19O0 of more than ST.6O0.O0O. and I'm I9OO-O1
OF more thaa SS,2O0OOO. AZ the same time
taxes are decreasing. the price Of national
bonds is rising above par. and the national deb,
is coming 10 be held less and less abroad and
more and more at home
With this auspicious state OF Italian finances
DIR. Tosti points out. Italian industries are also
In promising condition. General agriculture
cannot there. any more than in other Euronean
countries, compete with that OF the Western
Hemisphere But I'm the production and sale ~
fruits, noWers vegetables, wine. oil and other
Ike things remarkable progress Is being made
N
ltaly's greatest material growth Is seen Tbir,v
years ago all ITALY imported for Industrial nur.
poses less than 10000 tons OF coal-she has
no coal supply Of her own. Now she ImDorts
'.e'p'so tons wear. Steel ships and railroads
Of the first class are now buiIt ana en-.
equipped without importing anything hut ro,,,
material The tonnage Of Italian vessels M
Italian ports more than trebled between ,soe
ann l'p' and In the latter year the tonnage of
I'aIlah vessels exceeded that OF French vessels
IN Ihlted states ports. The two great bases or
industry IRON and coal deposits are lacking n
Is true Dr Tosti thinks aluminium may largely
replace iron, thus removing ItaIy's hand,con IN
that respect. However that nav be there can
oe no doubt that, as he points out electrical
energy developed from natural waterfalls ma,
largely take the place Of steam power In ,aciIj-
ues Ior such Development Italy Is necuU.-,,
r'ef+ IL Is estimated that her water courses az
Iofu q potency OF AZ least 10000 borsanouror
Ne nave only 10 compare these 6gures WITH
those OF the total horsepower emploved :, The
United STATES. Great Britain or Ceru,anv % -
WHat VAST possibilities Italy has In ba- un,ar
Ing mountain streams
ms optimistic view Of ItaIy's future is MA
ma! peheve quite justifable. and as wa bsva
SAID II Is especially agreeable 10 arar,o.ns
heiauohs between the two countries bava ,,or
eraiiy been friendly Myriads of italians hsra
come miner 10 make their homes. and bara
SHOWN themselves exceptionally industrious in
'eihseh'' ambitious and loyal 10 the pr,nrinIes
anu institutions Of their adopted country
NhateV@r their occasional turbulence smons
themselves IN general their aemeanor sets an
sAan'.''s which We might well wish most other