The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1907-06-05
THE POSITION
OF ITALY At
CONFERENCE
ATTITUDE IN CONNECTION WITH
LIMITATION OF ARNIAMENTS
is OF IMPORTANCE.
FAvORS THE MIDDLE COURSE
Will Take Prominent Fart i'm the
Discussion of Naval
Matters.

Italy at the second Hague conference,
and especially her attitude in con-
nection with the limitation of arma-
ments, has peculiar importance be-
caues no other country is so directly
affected by the struggle for suprem-
acy which is going on among the
leading European powers.
Germany and Austria exact the
support of Italy because she is their
ally under the triple alliance, Eng
land because of the affinity of their
views and their traditional friend
ship, and France because of the COM
mercial and economic interests bind
ing them.
The people and government here
have always followed with interest
and approval every move tending to
abolish or at least render more diff
cult international family conflicts
The Italian minister of foreign af-
fairs, Signor Tittoni, was strongly in
fluenced at the outset by his previous
services as Italian ambassador at
London. While there he had heard
the statement of the British premier,
Sir Henry mpbellBannerman, in
favor of a reduction of armaments,
and later the official announcement
by Sir Edward Grey favoring dimin-
uation of military expenses. When
few weeks later Tittoni was re-
called to become minister of foreign
affairs he anuonced to the chamber
of deputies that as foreign minister
he adhered to the humanitarian
British ideas which as ambassador
he had previously approved in Lon
don. He added.
THE government will give its rep
resentatives to support the English
initiative"
This declaration awakened con-
siderable apprehension at Berlin,
where it was pointed out that Italy,
although member of the triple al
lance, was pursuing a policy which
the other members of the triple al
lance, Germany and Austria, OPP
posed.
The situation suddenly changed as
conference of a meeting between
Signor Tittoni and the German chan
cellor, Prince Won Buelow, at Ra-
pallo. The two statesmen were to-
gether nearly three hours, entirely
alone and without notes being taken
of their conversation so that there
lS HO tNlutHCe DIS lO the
dealt with. From what has leaked
out from different quarters, ii seems,
however, that Prince Won Buelow,
although acknowledging the situa-
tion of Italy was delicate and difficult
and that Signor Tittoni was variable
in steering the shoals, complained
that the Italian government, when
ever a question of international char
acter arose, did not think it necessary
to show a united front with the other
two members of the triple alliance.
Several instances were cited to
support this contention, beginning
with the Cretan question in which
Italy joined Russia, France and Eng
land, while Germany and Austria re-
fused to enter the group of the pro-
tectors of that island, and ending
with the still sore subject of the AL
geciras conference, where, according
to Germany, Marquis Viscount Ven
osta and Henry White, with the
greatest diplomatic tact, ended by
isolating Berlin and Vienna.
At the time of the Rapallo meet
ing it was reported that Mr.. White,
who had just gone as American am
bassador to Paris few weeks be-
fore, had the mission to bring France
around to the views of America and
England with regard to the limita
ton of armaments which would
have meant again the isolation of
Germany and Austria
The arguments of Prince Won Bue-
low were not without weight from
the point of view of an ally to an
ally, so that Tittoni had the idea of
middle course, which would save
the susceptibilities of all powers con-
erned, by proposing such proceed
ure in the discussion of the limita-
ton of armaments as to be accepta-
BILE to all. Prince Won Buelow
agreed, so Immediately after his re-
turn to Rome, Tittoni made to the
great powers the proposition which
he thought would settle the matter,
but unfortunately it was not accept
ed, not only by England and the
United States (the answer of Secre-
tary Root being couched in very
courteous terms), but by Germany
herself 1t appears that Prince Won
Buelow had misunderstood the prop
osition when laid before him at Ra-
pallo.
The struggle which had been going
on to secure Italy's support. finally